Departments: Internet

Theresa May: To ask the Leader of the House for which Government websites he is responsible; how many visitors each received in the last period for which figures are available; and what the cost  (a) was of establishing and  (b) has been of maintaining each site.

Jack Straw: I am responsible for the website www.commonsleader.gov.uk During 2006, the website received a total of 6,646,720 hits (an average of 553,893 hits per month), with the number of unique users in an average month being 45,037.
	The total cost for the initial development and software amounted to £44,689 in 2003. The annual cost of hosting the website is £7,044. Extra costs may be incurred for development and maintenance on an ad hoc basis.

Aviation: Environment Protection

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the environmental impact of the Aviation White Paper's proposal on expanding Heathrow airport; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: We maintain a close working relationship with the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), at both official and ministeriallevel, on the programme of work to review further development of Heathrow. Officials from DEFRA participated in the technical panel work on air quality which reported last July, and our respective officials have had a number of discussions since on the environmental issues.

Driving: Diabetes

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department is undertaking the additional research recommended in the Road Safety Research Report Number 61, 'Stratifying Hypoglycaemic Event Risk in Insulin-treated Diabetes'.

Stephen Ladyman: No decision as yet has been made about commissioning further research.
	The Secretary of State's Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Diabetes and Driving is awaiting agreement from the European Commission's Committee on the Diabetes EC Working Group recommendations,before advising on whether changes can be made to the current medical standards for driving licences or further research is needed.

Forests

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to increase the acreage of woodland and forests to increase the absorption of carbon dioxide.

Barry Gardiner: Growing trees have the capacity to sequester carbon and existing woodlands contain a significant carbon stock. Young, fast growing species sequester carbon fastest, but these are not necessarily the trees that bring the greatest public benefits for wildlife, amenity and access. Carbon dioxide absorption is, therefore, valued as an additional benefit to the principal environmental and social objectivesof woodland creation supported by the Forestry Commission's English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS).
	The incentives offered through EWGS over thenext few years will be influenced by the outcomeof the refreshed England Forestry Strategy, the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 and the Rural Development Programme for England 2007-13.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what global greenhouse gas stabilization target, expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent, the Government are using as a basis for its policies.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 10 May 2007
	The UK Government's climate change policies are based on limiting global mean temperature rise to 2°( )C above pre-industrial levels. This mirrors the European Union's 2° C stabilisation target.
	The Government agree with the European Commission that, to meet that objective, atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases have to remain well below 550 parts per million volume carbon dioxide equivalent. This will require global greenhouse gas emissions to fall by between 15 and 50 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2050, with reductions in developed countries of between 60 and 80 per cent. The UK's target of a 60 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions is consistent with this approach.
	We will keep our emission reduction target under review and the draft climate change Bill includes a provision for it to be amended if required.

Heathrow Airport

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department is planning to contribute to the Heathrow expansion consultation by the Department for Transport; what discussions he has had with the Department for Transport on that matter; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Department for Transport haskept DEFRA in close touch on the programme of work to review further development of Heathrow airport. DEFRA participated in the technical panel work on air quality which reported last July, and discussions on other environmental issues have taken place between the two Departments.

Heating: Carbon Emissions

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken to tackle carbon dioxide emissions from outdoor space heaters.

Ian Pearson: Very limited information is available about the number of outdoor patio heaters in use inthe UK. DEFRA's Market Transformation Programme (MTP) has estimated that there are approximately 630,000 in use in the domestic sector and between 26,000 and 105,000 in the hospitality sector (pubs, restaurants and hotels).
	Making reasonable assumptions about fuel, power rating, and level of usage, the MTP estimates annual energy consumption to be approximately 670 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in the domestic sector and between280 and 1,100 GWh in the hospitality sector. The corresponding annual carbon dioxide emissions are 140,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in the domestic sector and between 60,000 and 240,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in the in the hospitality sector. Further information is available from the MTP's website at:
	www.mtprog.com.
	The Government are committed to raising product standards and encouraging people to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. However, as a member of the European single market, the Government cannot by itself introduce mandatory minimum standards for appliances on the basis of their energy efficiency as it would inhibit their free trade. In order to set such standards we need to persuade other member states that this is necessary across the EU. The Eco-Design for Energy Using Products (EUP) Framework Directive provides a streamlined and effective route for setting such requirements. The European Commission has currently identified a list of 20 priority products for action. At present, patio heaters are not on this list.

Lighting

Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the implications for people with light sensitivity conditions of phasing out the sale of incandescent light bulbs.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department is aware of the need to consider health implications in the event of incandescent light bulbs being phased out. Departmental officials have already had discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and other Government Departments that have an interest in these matters.

Renewable Energy

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with colleagues in the Department for Trade and Industry on merging activities connected to the delivery of support for renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Ian Pearson: None.

Warm Front Scheme

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans his Department has to extend funding available via the warm homes scheme to cover the installation of new and environmentally sustainable technologies; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I assume the hon. Member is referring to the warm front scheme.
	Technologies not currently offered by the warmfront scheme are assessed to establish their suitability. Considerations include cost, energy efficiency and ease of use.

Water: Meters

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the number of metered households in each local authority area in England which  (a) are eligible for and  (b) that have been granted assistance in paying their water bills under the Vulnerable Groups Regulations.

Ian Pearson: The Water Industry (Charges) (Vulnerable Groups) Regulations 1999 apply for metered customers who meet certain criteria to protect them from paying large water bills.
	Ofwat, the economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales, collects data on the number of households receiving assistance under the Vulnerable Groups Regulations in the water companies' annual June returns. The latest figures on the number of households that have been granted assistance in paying their water bills are from 2005-06 and are reported by water company rather than local authority area, and are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of households receiving assistance under vulnerable groups tariff: 2005-06 
			  Water company  Number of households 
			 Anglian 719 
			 Dwr Cymru 426 
			 Northumbrian (North East and Essex and Suffolk) 672 
			 Severn Trent 1,223 
			 South West 2,962 
			 Southern 324 
			 Thames 1,780 
			 United Utilities 1,447 
			 Wessex 622 
			 Yorkshire 1,308 
			 Bournemouth and W Hampshire 96 
			 Bristol 391 
			 Cambridge 97 
			 Dee Valley 16 
			 Folkestone and Dover 42 
			 Mid Kent 103 
			 Portsmouth 30 
			 South East Water 114 
			 South Staffordshire 139 
			 Sutton and East Surrey 64 
			 Tendring Hundred 328 
			 Three Valleys 284 
			 Total 13,187 
		
	
	Ofwat has not made an estimate of the numberof metered households eligible under the vulnerable groups regulations.

Broadband

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what proportion of homes had access to broadband in each year since 2000; what  (a) estimates of and  (b) targets for broadband access his Department has made for future years; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Since 2000 the number of homes which have access to broadband in each year is as follows 2000 (30 per cent.), 2001 (49 per cent.), 2002(63 per cent.), 2003 (85 per cent.), 2004 (93.3 per cent.), 2005 (99.6 per cent.) and 2006 (99.8 per cent.).
	The Department has not  (a) estimated or  (b) set any targets for future broadband access. The Telecomms Adjudicator has responsibility for setting future targets for broadband access. Their target of98 per cent. for 2006 was met and surpassed in December 2005. Further information can be found on their website
	http://www.offta.org.uk/charts.htm.

Carbon Sequestration: Renewables Obligation

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reasons clean electricity generated using carbon capture and storage technology is not included in the renewables obligation.

Malcolm Wicks: The Renewables Obligation is the Government's key mechanism for encouraging the generation of electricity from renewable sources. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is used to store the carbon emissions produced during the generation of electricity by fossil fuel generating stations. This technology is therefore not eligibleunder the RO as it does not involve the productionof electricity from renewable sources. However, the Government are supportive of it and announced in the 2007 Budget that the UK would run a competitionfor full scale demonstration of CCS. We are also pressing for CCS to be recognised in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many  (a) former minersand  (b) former miners' families in Copeland have received compensation payments from the Miners' Compensation Scheme.

Malcolm Wicks: The number of former miners and former miners families in Copeland who have received compensation payments for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Vibration White Finger (VWF) are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   COPD  VWF 
			 Number of claimants who have received a damages payment 1,721 271 
			 Miners 111 235 
			 Families 944 36 
		
	
	These include some claimants who have received an interim payment but the claim is not yet settled.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether there are any outstanding compensation claims for  (a) former miners and  (b) former miners' families that are yet to be resolved in Copeland.

Malcolm Wicks: The number of outstanding claims for former miners and former miners families in Copeland for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and for Vibration White finger (VWF) yet to be resolved are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   COPD  VWF 
			 Number of outstanding claims 595 42 
			 Miners 135 36 
			 Families 460 6

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he plans to recover the fees paid from the public purse to solicitors acting for former miners and their families where there is evidence of double charging.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has a contractual agreement to pay legal costs for claimants under the coal health compensation schemes. The costs and disbursements paid to solicitors are set out in the Claim Handling Agreement (CHA) under an agreed set of tariffs.
	The Department has made considerable efforts to secure repayment of fees taken in addition to those paid under the CHA and to make claimants awareof their options if they have been charged a fee. Ultimately, this is a matter for the Regulation and Legal Complaints Boards of the Law Society with whom we continue to work to seek redress. The Department's Compensation for Miners newsletter features advice on this issue and the Legal Complaints Service continues to advertise, receive and investigate complaints.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made ofthe percentage of compensation payments made in Copeland to former miners and their families that were subject to double charging.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department is unable to identify where "double charging" has occurred. These are essentially matters about conduct within the legal profession and the Department has no direct role, although we continue to raise awareness of the issue in conjunction with the Legal Complaints Service and others in order that proper redress can be achieved.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what factors he considered when deciding not to meet the National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and Shotfirers recently to discuss a compensation scheme for miners with knee problems caused by their work in mines; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: I received a request from the National Association of Colliery Overmen, Deputies and Shotfirers for a meeting in February 2006, whena group litigation order had only just been appliedfor. No evidence of liability had been produced and therefore a meeting at that point would have been premature.

ITV: British Sky Broadcasting

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from ITN and Channel 4 News on the proposed acquisition of 17.9 per cent. of ITV by BSkyB.

Ian McCartney: No representations have been received from ITN or Channel 4 News about this matter. However, both ITV, which has a 40 per cent. shareholding in ITN, and Channel 4 have submitted representations to Ofcom in the context of its initial investigation into whether this transaction raisespublic interest issues and to the Office of Fair Trading in the context of its initial investigation into whether this transaction raises competition issues. Those submissions are summarised in the reports the Secretary of State received from the Office of Fair Trading and Ofcom on 27 April 2007. Previously, both ITV and Channel 4 had submitted views to the Office of Fair Trading about the transaction and these submissions were forwarded to the DTI to assist the Secretary of State in reaching a decision on whether to issue an intervention notice. Separately, at DTIs invitation, ITV had submitted views direct to the DTI on the question of whether to issue an intervention notice.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer to thehon. Member for Mid- Worcestershire (Peter Luff)of 24 April 2007,  Official Report, column 1072W, onthe low carbon buildings programme, how many ofthe 4,550 households allocated grants under the programme have been checked to ensure they comply with the terms of the scheme.

Malcolm Wicks: Under the terms of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, the programme manager carries out inspections on a percentage of commissioned installations. The first 50 of these inspections is due to take place in Quarter three of this year. Installation inspections will also be carried out as part of the certification scheme that supports the programme.

Mining: Compensation

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will establish an inquiry into the operation of the Miners' Compensation Scheme.

Malcolm Wicks: No. An independent review of the schemes was conducted in 2005. The report is available at the DTI website:
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/coal-health/publications/external-review/page16634.html
	The National Audit Office is also carrying outa value for money review of the Department's administration of the Coal Health Compensation Schemes. The report is anticipated during the summer.

North Sea Oil

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much revenue was generated by the UK's North Sea oil and gas fields in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: Total revenue from UK Continental Shelf oil and gas production in each year since 1997 is given in the following table:
	
		
			   Income (£ billion) 
			 1997 17.6 
			 1998 14.8 
			 1999 17.5 
			 2000 25.5 
			 2001 24.2 
			 2002 24.1 
			 2003 23.6 
			 2004 23.4 
			 2005 28.7 
			  Source:  http://www.og.dti.gov.uk/information/bb_updates/appendices/UKCS_I_and_E_Annual.pdf: data for 2006 are still being compiled.

Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how his Department is implementing the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003; what powers the Information Commissioner has under these regulations; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations came into force in December 2003. Under the regulations no one may make an unsolicited marketing telephone call to a consumer who has previously notified the caller that they do not wish to receive such calls or who has been registered with the telephone preference scheme for at least 28 days.
	The Information Commissioner has responsibility for enforcement of the regulations by the following mechanisms:
	Informal resolution;
	Preliminary Enforcement Notice;
	Enforcement Notice and;
	Prosecution for a Breach of Notice.
	The powers of the Information Commissioner in the Regulations are drawn from the Data Protection Act 1998 which is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice.
	The Enterprise Act 2002 was updated by Part 8 Community Infringements Specified UK Laws (Amendment) Order 2005, which designated enforcement powers to the Information Commissioner to enable him to apply to the courts to stop traders infringing a range of domestic consumer protection legislation where the infringements harm the collective interests of consumers, including these regulations.
	In December 2006 the Information Commissioner's Office served Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations' enforcement notices on six organisations. A further seven cases, under the Enterprise Act, are currently under investigation, but are not yet complete. All these cases relate to unsolicited marketing telephone calls made to consumers.

Science: Finance

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial support his Department gives to  (a) science centres and  (b) other projects which (i) promote engagement in science to the general public and (ii) are involved in adding value to the teaching of those subjects in schools.

Malcolm Wicks: Promoting engagement with science and enhancing the science learning experience in schools are key objectives behind the commitments set out in the Government's science strategy document "The Science and Innovation Investment Framework 2004 to 2014 Next Steps", and are supported by the Department and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).
	 (a) The Department provided £1 million, as partof a £2 million joint DfES/DTI funding package, to science centres in 2004 to 2006 to help alleviate short term funding problems. Between November 2006 and March 2008, we are providing £500,000 to Ecsite UK, the science centre umbrella body, to fund a £750,000 project to help science centres become financially viable. Specifically, this project aims to enable the science centres to:
	demonstrate the impact and the added-value they deliver;
	work more effectively together, and collaboratively with museums, SETNET, Science Learning Centres and Science Cities; and,
	maximise their future financial viability.
	In addition, £33,000 was provided to Ecsite UK in 2006-07.
	 (b) OSI works closely with DfES to promote the teaching of science in schools, and drive forwardthe recommendations set out in the 2006 STEM programme report. OSI has also continued to fund a number of related projects and activities to develop effective public engagement in science and technology through a number of key mechanisms:
	 Promoting public engagement in science
	Over £1.5 million has already been committed to the Sciencewise programme. More than 10 projects on a rangeof critical science challenges, including brain science, stem cells research, and nanotechnology have been supported. Sciencehorizons is the first ever mass public engagement programme designed to get the nation talking about how science and technology could affect our lives in the next 15 to 20 years. OSI is also undertaking work to develop an Expert Resource Centre for Public Dialogue on Science and Innovation (ERC), for launch in April 2008.
	£280,000 in 2006-07 was given to the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA) for organisation of National Science and Engineering Week (held in March this year). A grant of £100,000 enabled over 300 'hard-to-reach' schools to participate, many for the first time. £200,000 was also provided for the 2006 BA Festival of Science.
	We are also actively encouraging other organisations to develop and fund their own activities in this area, and we particularly welcome the recent announcement of the four-year Beacons for Public Engagement pilot programme, funded by Research Councils UK, the higher education funding councils and the Wellcome Trust. The national academies (British Academy, The Royal Academy of Engineering and Royal Society) receive part of their funding as grant-in-aid from my Department. They too play a role in enhancing public engagement with science, technology and engineering issues, and have an interest in improving the teaching of these subjects in schools.
	 Adding Value to Science Teaching
	As part of a £6.7 million programme funded by DTI, the Science, Engineering, Technology and Maths Network (SETNET) runs the science engineering ambassadors (SEAs) scheme, in which young scientists act as role models for school students. There are now more than 13,000 ambassadors representing a variety of industries stimulating scientific interest among school children which aims to have 18,000 SEAs in place by March 2008.
	Funding for the BA also goes to support their CREST award scheme, which offers young people the opportunity to take part directly in scientific research and engineering projects. In 2006-07 this funding amounted to £220,000.

Science: Newcastle upon Tyne

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding and support the Government have provided to Newcastle-upon-Tyne as a science city.

Margaret Hodge: The Government, through the Regional Development Agency One NorthEast,have to date contributed £10,733,333 in respect ofthe Newcastle science city site. This is inclusive of acquisition, stamp duty, fees and demolition.
	One NorthEast has also contributed £2,427,000 to the programme management for Newcastle science city.

Departments: ICT

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the  (a) originally estimated,  (b) most recently estimated and  (c) outturn cost was of the five largest information technology contracts agreed by his Department with outside suppliers over the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has let four major IT contracts in the last five years.
	The human resource (HR) system had a projected supplier cost at tender of £1.18 million. The total supplier cost at outturn was £1.22 million.
	The HR system project was superseded by an HR transformation project which aims to radically change the way HR services are delivered and improve people management. The HR transformation project hadan original budget of £6.5 million. It is primarily a business change project but it includes enhancements to the existing HR system and a number of smaller IT enabled components. The most recent cost estimate is £5.9 million, but options may be taken up in the future at additional cost.
	The Quest Electronic Document and Record Management system had a projected supplier base cost at tender of £8.98 million. The current projected total supplier cost is £11.68 million. This includes a number of additional cost options available under the original contract.
	The Aries Finance, Procurement and Reporting System, had a projected base supplier cost at tender of £11 million. The most recent estimate of £13.5 million reflects an agreed change to the scope of the project. It also includes additional consultancy support for change management and development of end-user training materials. Further options including assistance with training and roll out may be taken up in the future.
	DFID has also let a number of small IT related contracts. However, our central records do not distinguish IT contracts, so provision of details for these contracts would incur disproportionate costs.

Developing Countries: Death

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the proportion of mortality in developing countries caused by  (a) malaria,  (b) tuberculosis,  (c) road accidents and  (d) HIV/AIDS in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The most recent estimates of the proportion of mortality in developing countries by cause are provided by the Disease Control Priorities Project (DCPP) 2006 publication "Global Burden of Disease and Risk Factors", and the March 2006World Health Organisation (WHO) Bulletin. These publications also explain the difficulties involved in measuring and estimating causes of mortality, for example for countries where up-to-date data and information may be lacking. Such estimates can therefore not be accurately provided on a year-on-year basis.
	The DCPP publication reports that in 2001, the latest year for which estimates are provided, HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and road traffic accidents accounted for 5.3 per cent., 3.3 per cent., 2.5 per cent. and 2.2 per cent. respectively, of all deaths in low and middle income countries. As these countries develop, the proportion of mortality attributable to non-communicable disease causes—including road traffic accidents—is expected to rise.

North Korea

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of Statefor International Development what activities his Department undertakes in North Korea.

Gareth Thomas: DFID does not have, and has never had, a bilateral programme in North Korea. We contribute as normal to the current EU programme of humanitarian assistance. Since 1995, around €118 million has been allocated to assist the most vulnerable people. Humanitarian assistance was provided to cover the immediate needs of flood-affected populations, to address food/nutritional problems, improve access to water as well as health care.

Tamils

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations he has received from Tamil community groups inthe UK.

Gareth Thomas: In my capacity as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for International Development I met with Andrew Dismore MP and 20 representatives from the Tamil community in July 2006. Issues discussed included Tsunami relief, the peace process and DFID's programme of assistance.

Northern Ireland Executive: Flags

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Northern Ireland what the Government's policy is on the use of  (a) the Ulster flag,  (b) the Cross of St. Patrick,  (c) the Union flag,  (d) the European Union flag and  (e) the Irish Republic flag on government buildings in Northern Ireland.

Peter Hain: The Flags Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 regulates the flying of the Union flag from Government buildings on specified days in Northern Ireland. It also permits the European flag to be flown, in conjunction with the Union Flag, on Europe Day at Government buildings that have more than one flagpole.
	Under the Regulations the flag of the Republic of Ireland could be flown, alongside the Union flag, from a Government building on the occasion of a visit of the Head of State of the Republic of Ireland to that building, provided that the building had more thanone flag pole and that the Union flag was flown in prominence.
	The Ulster flag and the Cross of St. Patrick have no official status and under the Flags Regulations are not permitted to be flown from Government Buildings.

Prisons: Education

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of prisoners ineach Northern Ireland prison establishment achieved  (a) GCSE,  (b) post-GCSE and  (c) third level qualifications in each of the last six years; and what steps he is taking to increase the number of prisoners achieving such qualifications.

Paul Goggins: Only those prisoners with a sufficiently long sentence and the ability to work at this level will be able to complete second and third level education. This represents a very small proportion of prisoners who enter the prison system on an annual basis. It is likely to exclude those on remand, those committed for fine default and those sentenced for less than one year. Almost 70 per cent. of those sentenced to custody have literacy and numeracy deficits in essential and key skills. Given the link between low attainment and criminal behaviour, the priority for the Prison Service is to address first-level educational and vocational needs. The second and third level awards attained within the past six years are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			  Maghaberry  
			  (a) and  (b) GCSE and post GCSE awards and equivalents 50 
			  (c) Third level qualifications 2001-06:  
			 OU Unit Awards completed 69 
			 Degrees/Masters completed 7 
			   
			  Hydebank  
			  (a) and  (b) GCSE and post GCSE awards and equivalents 16 
			  (c) Third level qualifications 2001-06:  
			 OU Unit Awards completed 2 
			 Degrees/Masters completed 0 
			   
			  Magilligan  
			  (a) and  (b) GCSE and post GCSE awards and equivalents: 215 
			  (c) Third level qualifications 2001-06:  
			 OU Unit Awards completed 27 
			 Degrees/Masters completed 0

Afghanistan: Drugs

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many drug-related seizures have been made by British forces in Afghanistan; and what weight of narcotics has been seized, broken down by type.

Adam Ingram: I have been asked to reply.
	The Afghan authorities have the lead for counter-narcotic activity, but under the terms of the current NATO Operational Plan (OPLAN), ISAF forces may support them, including through support to interdiction operations. Over the 12 months to March 2007, Afghan forces interdicted 72 tonnes of opium.
	Under the OPLAN, ISAF forces hand over any drugs, associated equipment, and traffickers to the Afghan authorities at the earliest possible opportunity. In the absence of any ISAF requirement to record details of narcotic seizures, UK forces have to date not retained a central record of drag seizures, and any attempt to provide one would come at disproportionate cost.

Afghanistan: Drugs

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Government policy are on opium crop eradication activities in Afghanistan in areas where alternative livelihoods projects  (a) are and  (b) are not in place; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The UK supports the Afghan Government's policy on opium poppy eradication as set out in its National Drug Control Strategy (NDCS). The NDCS states that eradication should be Afghan-led and targeted where there is access to legal rural livelihoods. To ensure that eradication is targeted properly, the UK has helped the Afghan authorities to map those areas where people have access to legal rural livelihoods. These target areas are determined by a set of criteria that take into account a wide range of factors. In addition to rural livelihoods projects, the criteria include: distance to markets, water availability, agricultural diversity, population density, extension of government, access to non-farm income and credit. Non-targeted eradication is less likely to achieve the NDCS's objective of achieving a sustainable reduction in cultivation.

Africa: EC External Relations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on plans to hold an African Union-EU Summit in 2007.

Margaret Beckett: The second EU-Africa Summitis scheduled to take place in Lisbon in December. The UK wants a successful summit that will inject new momentum into the EU-Africa relationship. The summit must have a high level of ambition and strong African buy-in.
	The summit presents an opportunity for constructive discussions on development, governance, conflict and climate security.
	Early preparation of the summit is vital. Work is underway on a new joint EU-Africa strategy to be adopted at the summit and reasonable progress is being made towards a framework of commitments. The EU will continue to deliver on the commitments fromthe EU's 2005 strategy on Africa as agreed at the December 2006 European Council. Member states and the Commission are due to report on progress at the end of 2007.

European Constitution Treaty

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State forForeign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is the Government's position that the Treaty establishinga Constitution for Europe would have altered the fundamental relationship between the European Union and the member states; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: All EU treaties affect the relationship between member states and the EU. The Government's position is that, in view of the resultsof the French and Dutch referendums, the best way forward now is the traditional approach of an amending treaty rather than the constitutional treaty.

Italy: Diplomatic Service

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 April 2007,  Official Report, column 37W, on Italy: diplomatic service, how many individuals received copies of the valedictory telegram of Sir Ivor Roberts.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 10 May 2007
	 The telegram was sent to a number of distribution lists in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Number 10, as well as to a range of overseas Posts. It wouldnot be possible, without incurring disproportionate expense, to reconstitute how many individuals on these lists saw the document in September 2006.

Libyan Arab Republic: Weapons

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support has been given to Libya in relation to its decommissioning of weapons of mass destruction as agreed between Libya, the UK and third parties.

Kim Howells: Libya's renunciation of its weapons of mass destruction programmes in December 2003 was a historic decision. The UK has been working closely with Libya and the United States, in particular through the Trilateral Steering and Co-operation Committee, to support Libya through the de-commissioning process.
	This has included helping Libya to dismantle its nuclear weapons programme, allowing other international partners to convert its heavy-water nuclear reactor at Tajura into a light-water reactor. This in turn has helped Libya to meet the international standards required for its nuclear reactor to be placed under an Additional Protocol Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
	A comprehensive programme of redirection and engagement with Libya's scientific community into more conventional areas is under way. This includes helping Libya to establish a regional nuclear medical centre, which would enable the production of nuclear isotopes for radiological medicine, and assistanceand engagement with Libya's life-sciences community, particularly in the fields of human and animal infectious diseases, such as AIDS and Avian Influenza. Libya has also acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention and will, under the verification regime of that convention, destroy its chemical weapons stockpile by the end of 2010.
	The UK is also pursuing wider scientific co-operation with Libya, and signed with Libya a Memorandum of Understanding on Science Co-operation on 27 March.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 23 April 2007,  Official Report, column 919W to the hon. Member for Edinburgh North and Leith, on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which states have blocked progress on the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty.

Kim Howells: No member state at the Conference on Disarmament (CD) objects in principle to a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT). However, some nations have been unwilling to begin negotiations on such a treaty without further progress on their own priorities, even where these are issues that do not command consensus at the CD. In particular, China has previously stated that they are not willing to begin negotiations on an FMCT until their concerns overthe prevention of an arms race in space are sufficiently addressed. In March this year the current six presidencies of the CD tabled a proposal designed to address the concerns of all member states and allow negotiations on an FMCT to commence without further delay. The UK continues to support the proposal and will work hard to secure consensus for its adoption when this year's second session of the conference begins on 14 May.

Occupied Territories: Security

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether US Security Co-ordinator General Dayton has produced a plan for security sector transformation within the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the reliable opening of the Kami crossing; and if she will place a copy of the plan in the Library of the House once it is available.

Margaret Beckett: US Security Co-ordinator General Dayton has produced a draft plan for Palestinian Security Sector Transformation. He is currently working with international partners andthe Palestinians to develop this further and provide costings. This will provide further training, provision of non-lethal equipment to the presidential guard and details on proposals for the Kami crossing point between Gaza and Israel.
	General Dayton's plan will be a private, sensitive document. We do not plan to place a copy in the Library of the House. However, we will keep the House informed of progress regarding Security Sector Transformation.
	During their meeting on 15 April, Israeli Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian President Abbas discussed future security plans. Prime Minister Olmert promised to keep the Kami crossing open until 23.00 and that trucks would not be delayed longer than24 hours at the crossing. The Israel Defence Force also said that they had removed 44 roadblocks in the West Bank and intended to remove a further 17.

Sequestration of Assets

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the extent to which the persons, entities and organisations identified in European Council decision 2007/242/EC of 23 April 2007 hold assets in the European Union which will be affected by the Council decision.

Margaret Beckett: The UK has not made an assessment of the extent to which the persons, entities and organisations identified in European Council decision 2007/242/EC of 23 April hold assets in the European Union, and is not aware of any assessments made by third parties. The legal instruments for implementing the assets freeze in the UK are the Iran (Financial Sanctions) Order 2007 and EC Regulation 423/2007. The Bank of England issued a notice to financial institutions on 24 April about the financial sanctions against Iran, following the adoption ofEC Regulation 423/2007 and Council Decision 2007/242/EC.

Sequestration of Assets

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK is advocating that the European Union restrictive measures against Iran adopted under European Council decision 2007/242/EC of 23 April 2007 be strengthened; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The European Union has implemented robustly the measures imposed underUN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) 1737 and 1747. The United Kingdom will not seek further measures before assessing Iran's response to UNSCR 1747.

Serbia: Council of Europe

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she willsuspend the UK's financial contribution to the Council of Europe pending review of the appropriateness of Serbia taking the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

Geoff Hoon: The Government do not believe it would be in the United Kingdom's interest to suspend its financial contribution to the Council of Europe. Todo so would be in breach of our obligations under Article 39 of the Statute. Failure to fulfil our financial obligations could result in the suspension of the UK's right of representation on the Committee of Ministers and Parliamentary Assembly. A suspension in contributions would also damage the vital work of the Council of Europe in promoting and protecting human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe.
	Serbia still has much work to do to meet its Council of Europe accession commitments, as well as other international obligations, in particular full co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). However, we hope that their Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers will provide encouragement for Serbia to demonstrate its commitment to Council of Europe core objectives of human rights, democracy and the rule of law as well as other international obligations, in particular full co-operation with the ICTY.

Serbia: Council of Europe

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make representations to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe objecting to the rotation of the Presidency to Serbia in view of Serbian war criminals still at large.

Geoff Hoon: The United Kingdom is a strong supporter of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and regularly makes clear to countries of the region their obligation to co-operate fully with the Tribunal, as set out inUN Security Council Resolution 1534. In February I delivered this message in Belgrade to the President and Prime Minister of Serbia.
	Serbia's performance as Chair will be scrutinised by both a domestic and international audience. It is in Serbia's interests to fulfil its obligations as Chair to the highest standards. We hope that their Chairmanship will provide encouragement for Serbia to demonstrate its commitment to Council of Europe core objectives of human rights, democracy and the rule of law as well as other international obligations, in particular full co-operation with the ICTY.
	The Parliamentary Assembly and Committee of Ministers will continue to monitor Serbia's commitment to Council of Europe values and treaty obligations. Monitoring will continue throughout their Chairmanship and will include co-operation with the ICTY.

Somalia

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the likelihood of the proposed national reconciliation conference in Somalia taking place; and what support the UK is giving to the process.

Margaret Beckett: We welcomed the announcement by President Yusuf at the African Union summit on29 January of his intention to convene a National Reconciliation Congress (NRC). However, it is crucial that the current fighting in Mogadishu ends, in orderto allow the NRC to convene. With our international partners, we continue to press for an end to the violence, most recently at the International Contact Group on 3 April and at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 23 April.
	The UK, other international donors and UN agencies are supporting the Somali National Governance and Reconciliation Committee, which is charged with organising the Congress, in developing its plan for this. With our partners, the UK is currently providing technical expertise and advisory assistance.
	We are ready to consider funding for the NRC once a fully costed final plan is finalised, which can achieve lasting peace for Somalia.

Sudan: EC Action

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK is advocating the adoption of EU measures againstthe Government of Sudan; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: Following my lobbying, the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council agreed strong conclusions on Sudan on 23 April. In particular, we are building on this support in pushing for further action from the UN Security Council.

Sudan: Religious Freedom

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the recent attack on Christian missionaries in the Nuba Mountains, Sudan.

Ian McCartney: Bishop Andudu, the head of the Episcopal church in the Diocese of Kadugli and Nuba Mountains, and the Evangelical church in Khartoum told our embassy in Khartoum that four missionaries attached to the Evangelical church in Khartoum had been killed in an ambush of a lorry near Kadugli on27 or 28 April, with five other people injured. We do not currently know the identity of the assailants, or whether the missionaries were the target or unintended victims of the attack.
	The Government remain strongly committed to the protection of the human rights of all Sudan's citizens. We call on the Sudanese Government to ensure that all religions can be practised without fear of harassment or intimidation. We take seriously any infringement of religious freedom and remain in contact with church leaders. In addition, the Government are a strong supporter of the North/South Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Under this a range of peace building commissions are being established including a national Human Rights Commission and the Commission for the Protection of non-Muslim Rights in the national capital.

Pupils: Contraceptives

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which schools in  (a) Essex,  (b) Hertfordshire and  (c) the Metropolitan Police Area of London distribute the morning after pill to pupils(i) with and (ii) without parental knowledge or permission; and which plan to do so in the next 12 months.

Beverley Hughes: The data requested is not collected by this Department. Health professionals are ableto supply Emergency Hormonal Contraception (EHC) to under 16s without notifying parents, provided theyare satisfied that the young person is competent to understand fully the implications of any treatment. Our position is that EHC should be available to help prevent pregnancy in emergency situations, but not used as a substitute for more reliable forms of contraception.

Service Personnel: Health Care

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision his Department makes for the healthcare of injured servicemen and women.

Derek Twigg: A key factor in the Government's duty of care towards the members of the armed forces is ensuring they receive high-quality medical care, both while deployed on operations and back in the UK. This can range from life-saving surgery in our deployed field hospitals and NHS facilities in the UK, to treatmentof routine ailments on a daily basis. Our mental health services are configured in line with national best practice.

Service Personnel: Health Care

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of medical support for service personnel on their return to the UK from operational theatres; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: I refer the hon. Member to theanswer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Mr. Evennett).

Helicopters

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Defence what steps he is taking to improve the availability of helicopters in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: We keep the requirement for helicopters in both theatres under constant review.
	Last summer my right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary announced the deployment of an additional two Chinook to Afghanistan and an increase in the available helicopter hours.
	On 30 March, he announced our plans to make an additional 14 helicopters available for deployment by converting eight Chinook Mk3 aircraft and purchasing another six Merlin from Denmark.

Landmines

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his assessment is of the effectiveness of initiatives taken by the UK to remove landmines and explosive remnants of war.

Adam Ingram: MOD has three initiatives to remove landmines and explosive remnants of war. These three projects are judged to be highly successful: the first involves 98 explosive ordnance disposal and de-mining personnel for the Kosovo Protection Corps. The second is the Bosnian project, which on completion will have destroyed over 10,000 tons of ammunition. And the third is the International Mine Action and Training Centre in Kenya has trained some 3,800 African and international personnel in de-mining and associated skills. Wider initiatives by the UK, funded by DFID at £10 million per year are targeted at the world's poorest nations which have reduced casualties significantly.

Aircraft Carriers: Procurement

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to place the order for the new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answerI gave to the hon. Member for New Forest, East(Dr. Lewis) on 3 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1848W.

Departments: ICT

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Defence whether the details of the Defence Information Infrastructure (Future) design system solution were completed in advance of the decision to contract the ATLAS Consortium to implement the scheme in March 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Following a free, fair and open competition involving a number of bidders, Atlas were selected to provide Defence Information Infrastructure (Future) services on the basis of their overall proposal, which included an overview of their technical design. As with all bidders, the proposal did not include the complete system solution design but contained design detail that was sufficient for bid evaluation and contract award.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many traumatic amputations there have been in the recent 2 Rifles Operation Telic tour.

Des Browne: The number of personnel from 2 Rifles recently deployed in Iraq who have become amputees on active service is not held centrally. To obtain these details would require the examination of the individual medical records of each of the patients who has been classified as very seriously injured (VSI) or seriously injured (SI) for the period of the deployment. These records can only be viewed for non-clinical reasons with the express consent of the individual concerned, to protect patient confidentiality.
	The MOD is committed to publishing statistics on the number of service personnel killed and injuredon operations. Casualty and fatality figures for Iraq and Afghanistan are published on the MOD website (http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/FactSheets/OperationsFactsheets). Casualty figures are updated fortnightly, in arrears.

Military Aircraft: Training

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many pilots began fast jet training in each year since 2000; how many have completed such training; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The following table gives details of the number of Royal Air Force and Royal Navy pilots who entered fast jet training, and the number of pilots who successfully completed this training prior to conversion to aircraft type at the Operational Conversion Unit. On average, fast jet pilots will exit training two years after entering.
	This information is only held for the last five financial years.
	
		
			  Financial year  Number  of pilots entering Fast Jet Training  Number of pilots successfully completed Fast Jet Training 
			 2002-03 (1)110 65 
			 2003-04 70 65 
			 2004-05 45 45 
			 2005-06 40 45 
			 2006-07 45 45 
			 (1 )In financial year 2002-03 the figure is artificially inflated due tothe fact that there were two courses that started just within the boundaries of this financial year (on 8 April 2002 and 31 March 2003).  Note: All figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.

Navy: Pay

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) Royal Navy bonuses and  (b) Royal Naval Reserve bounty payments for the fiscal year 2007-08 were (i) missed and (ii) mispaid by the Joint Personnel Administration.

Derek Twigg: The Service Personnel and Veterans Agency, which is responsible for such payments, is not currently aware of any missed or mispaid commitment bonus payments due to top Royal Naval personnel. Annual bounties for Royal Naval Reserve personnel for service during fiscal year 2006-07 were successfully paid in April 2007 through the Joint Personnel Administration system. While it cannot be predictedin which month annual bounties will be paid for service in fiscal year 2007-08, the majority are normally paid in April of each calendar year following the end of the training year on 31 March.
	Initiation of both the bonus and bounty paymentsis governed by the timely provision of details of entitlements from units.

Territorial Army: Driving

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his assessment is of the effect ofthe Drivers' Hours and Rest Time Regulations on Territorial Army manpower and effectiveness.

Adam Ingram: EU Regulation No 561/2006 on working hours for drivers, which came into effect on11 April 2007, inevitably applies to a limited number of Territorial Army personnel who in their civilian employment are vocational drivers.
	As it does not apply to members of the Territorial Army once they are mobilised, we do not envisage the introduction of this legislation affecting our ability to conduct current operations.
	We are conducting a systematic assessment of the likely impact on the Territorial Army over the medium term, and individual cases over the next few months are likely to help inform our assessment. We are also confident that, with minor adjustments to Territorial Army training patterns, vocational drivers can continue to serve for the foreseeable future. We are also working, along with our colleagues in the Department for Transport, on ways to reduce the impact of this change in the longer term.

Warships

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what lessons the Royal Navy has learned from the weather-related incident on HMS Sovereign last summer in Plymouth Sound, when two members of the ship's company were trapped in the superstructure; what advice has been issued in consequence to other naval users of Plymouth Sound; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: A ship's investigation into the incident was carried out at the time, which concluded that established procedures were not fully followed. The correct procedures are promulgated to all Royal Navy submarines. A Near Miss Report, drawing lessons from the Ship's Investigation, was distributed throughout the RN submarine fleet in March 2007. In addition, Royal Navy submarines not based at Devonport are briefed about the constraints, limitations, hazards and dangers of operating in or around Plymouth Sound and are expected to carry an Admiralty Pilot when entering or leaving this port.
	The Royal Navy is also considering whether thereare lessons to be learned from the tragic incidentin December 2006 involving the USS MinneapolisSt. Paul, in which two men lost their lives, following the recent publication of the US investigation into the incident.

Employment Schemes

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the current training schemes available through Jobcentre Plus.

Jim Murphy: Our employment programmes, especially the New Deals, have helped to significantly reduce unemployment and are internationally renowned as being very successful. This has been achieved through bringing people closer to the labour market which has included the provision of training.
	We regularly undertake assessments of the effectiveness of employment programmes including training schemes. There are evaluations of all new programmes involving independently commissioned projects, internal performance monitoring and thorough reviews for Her Majesty's Treasury spending reviews.
	However, we realise there is more to do and weare currently considering the recent Freud and Leith reviews which recommend ways of further improving training opportunities.

Employment Schemes: Lone Parents

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of lone parents receiving sanctions for failing to attend a Work Focused Interview.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 9 May 2007
	 The purpose of Work Focused Interviews (WFIs) is to ensure that lone parents know about the support that is available to help them move into work. Lone parents who receive income support are told they have to attend WFIs as a condition of receiving their benefit, and to ensure this requirement is understood, we have reviewed the communications we send to lone parents to ensure they are clear and unambiguous.
	Considerable effort is made to reduce the possibility of lone parents receiving benefit sanctions.
	We telephone them to remind them of their appointment and re-arrange the WFI if necessary.
	If a lone parent fails to attend their WFI on the first occasion, we telephone or write to them and if they make contact within five working days no sanction is imposed.
	If no contact is made within five working days and the lone parent is considered to be in a vulnerable group, a home visit will be arranged. If contact is made, the interview will be rearranged, deferred or waived as appropriate.
	Where contact is not made, a letter will be left at the lone parent's home address giving them a further five days to contact Jobcentre Plus.
	If the lone parent fails to attend again, we write to them asking them to demonstrate good cause for their failure to attend their WFI. If contact is made bythe lone parent and good cause demonstrated, the appointment will again be re-arranged, deferred or waived as appropriate, and no sanction imposed.
	If no contact is made by the lone parent but they subsequently attend a Jobcentre
	Plus office prior to the sanction being imposed, an attempt will be made to hold the interview immediately to prevent the sanction being imposed.

Employment Schemes: Lone Parents

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what analysis his Department has conducted on the impact on attainment of the Government's child poverty target of the number of lone parents sanctions for failing to attend a Work Focused Interview in 2005-06.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 9 May 2007
	 The information requested is not available.

Employment: Discrimination

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures his Department is taking to combat discrimination against black and Asian women in the workplace; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government want everyone to achieve their potential at work, and recognise that women from black and minority ethnic (BME) groups may face additional barriers to doing so, because of a combination of factors related to gender, ethnicity and in some cases, religious belief. While black and Asian women are increasingly well qualified, and there are many successful women from these communities, there is compelling evidence that many black and minority ethnic women do find it harder to get into employment, to progress at work, and to be paid fairly.
	Measures introduced by the Government to support parents and carers in the workplace and to eliminate discrimination benefit women for all backgrounds equally. These include improved maternity rights, better access to child care, and the right for parents of young or disabled children and carers of adults to request flexible working. In addition, the Government remain committed to ensuring that the legislation prohibiting discrimination in employment on the grounds of sex, race and religion or belief is properly enforced, and believes that the establishment of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights will assist in addressing instances of multiple discrimination.
	Further, black and Asian women will benefit from progress on steps taking place across Government to address the gender pay gap and its underlying causes. These are set out in "Towards a Fairer Future, Implementing the Women and Work Commission" recommendations, published in April this year. More details can be found in that report of a number of initiatives specifically designed to benefit women from minority ethnic communities in finding and progressing in employment, including the Cities Strategy; Partners' Outreach; Work Search Premium; the Deprived Areas Fund; work with employers on recruitment and progression arising from a report by the National Employment Panel's Business Commission; employer-led Fair Cities pilots in Birmingham, Leeds/Bradford and Brent, London; and a range of regional activity. The Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force is taking a pro-active strategic approach to addressing the particular challenges faced by minority ethnic and minority religious women, and will shortly be reporting back to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to propose a focused set of priorities around procurement and employer engagement —including tackling employer discrimination, not just in recruitment to the workplace but also in progression through it.
	In the public sector, the duties to promote race and gender equality and to eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment on these grounds will ensure that black and Asian women are not disadvantaged in the workplace.

Jobseekers Allowance: Lone Parents

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what consideration he has givento David Freud's recommendation to transfer lone parents to jobseeker's allowance, or other appropriate benefit, when their youngest child reaches 12 yearsof age.

Jim Murphy: We have said in the recent "Working for Children" child poverty strategy report that we think we should consider a move to jobseeker's allowance for those that are able to work, with the same basic financial entitlements, but with a much greater work focus. We are considering David Freud's recommendations carefully and will respond in the summer.

New Deal for Disabled People: Take-up

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many participants there were on the New Deal for Disabled People each month since 1998; how many in each month successfully found employment; and how many of those people have remained in employment for longer than six months.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 8 February 2007
	New deal for disabled people (NDDP) has, year on year, been successful in increasing the proportion of participants it has helped into work. Information on the number and proportion of participants on the programme who have been helped into work since the programme started in July 2001, is in the table.
	
		
			  New deal for disabled people 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Starts 13,360 34,000 38,270 62,340 70,390 
			 People into jobs 1,780 8,350 14,980 26,800 33,130 
			 Percentage of job entries to starts 13 25 39 43 47 
			  Notes: 1. Figures relate to April to March each year, apart from 2001-02, which relates to July 2001 to March 2002. 2. Starts data relates to registrations with Job Brokers, and jobs relate to jobs gained via Job Brokers. 
		
	
	Information on employment lasting for longer than six months through new deal for disabled people is not available. Information broken down by month since the programme started in July 2001 is in the table.
	
		
			   Participants  People gaining a job 
			  2001   
			 July 1,410 40 
			 August 2,780 120 
			 September 3,720 190 
			 October 4,760 180 
			 November 6,510 290 
			 December 7,360 180 
			
			  2002   
			 January 8,750 220 
			 February 10,630 300 
			 March 13,010 470 
			 April 15,210 490 
			 May 18,030 750 
			 June 19,820 580 
			 July 22,030 670 
			 August 24,490 850 
			 September 26,770 970 
			 October 29,050 1,070 
			 November 31,770 1,260 
			 December 32,710 600 
			
			  2003   
			 January 34,730 920 
			 February 37,120 970 
			 March 39,550 1,030 
			 April 41,200 1,180 
			 May 43,040 1,420 
			 June 45,170 1,280 
			 July 47,320 1,300 
			 August 49,420 1,490 
			 September 51,740 1,740 
			 October 54,040 2,160 
			 November 55,500 1,720 
			 December 56,150 1,160 
			
			  2004   
			 January 57,960 1,640 
			 February 60,110 1,690 
			 March 62,540 1,870 
			 April 65,420 2,540 
			 May 68,670 2,270 
			 June 71,590 2,380 
			 July 75,790 2,790 
			 August 78,750 2,480 
			 September 82,040 3,000 
			 October 85,800 3,810 
			 November 88,540 3,150 
			 December 89,670 2,330 
			
			  2005   
			 January 92,160 2,570 
			 February 95,360 2,940 
			 March 98,130 2,810 
			 April 101,630 3,710 
			 May 104,110 3,060 
			 June 106,250 2,860 
			 July 109,380 3,530 
			 August 112,110 2,900 
			 September 115,910 4,450 
			 October 119,100 3,790 
			 November 122,210 3,710 
			 December 123,500 2,700 
			
			  2006   
			 January 126,660 3,030 
			 February 130,490 3,330 
			 March 134,580 4,660 
			 April 137,640 3,540 
			 May 140,720 3,530 
			 June 144,110 4,320 
			 July 147,550 3,600 
			 August 151,530 3,690 
			  Notes: 1. The table includes separate figures for the number of people participating in a particular month, and the number of people gaining a job in a particular month. 2. People participating in a particular month may have gained a job in a subsequent month, and so will be recorded in that month as gaining a job. 3. New deal for disabled people started in July 2001. 4. Latest data is to August 2006.  Source: Information Directorate, Department for Work and Pensions.

Pension Credit: Easington

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Easington constituency received pension credit in each of the last three years.

James Purnell: The answer is in the following table.
	
		
			  Household recipients of pension credit in Easington constituency, 2004 - 06 
			  As at August each year:  Household recipients 
			 2004 4,990 
			 2005 5,070 
			 2006 5,190 
			  Notes:  1. The number of households in receipt are rounded to thenearest 10.  2. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.  Source:  DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent data.

Pensioners: Council Tax Benefits

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of owner occupier pensioner households receive council tax benefit.

James Plaskitt: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Council tax benefit (CTB) recipients aged 60 and over who are owner occupiers: Great Britain, May 2004 
			   Number/ P ercentage 
			 CTB recipients aged 60 and over who are owner occupiers 677,000 
			 Percentage of owner occupier pensioner households in receipt of CTB 14.4 
			  Notes: 1. Caseloads and household population figures are rounded to the nearest thousand and percentages to one decimal place. 2. CTB figures are based on a one per cent sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation. 3. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 4. Council Tax Benefit figures exclude any Second Adult Rebate cases. 5. 'Aged 60 and over' figures refer to cases where the claimant and/or partner is aged 60 or over. Therefore figures may contain some claimants aged under 60 where there is a partner agedover 60.   Sources: 1. Housing benefit and council tax benefit management information system, annual one per cent sample, taken in May 2004. 2. Survey of English Housing 2004-2005 (DCLG) 3. Living in Wales Survey 2004 (Welsh Assembly) 4. Scotland's Census Results Online (Scrol) 2001 (Scottish Executive)

Pensioners: Social Security Benefits

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps have been taken by his Department to inform pensioners of their entitlement to  (a) pension credit and  (b) winter fuel allowance; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: The information is as follows:
	 Pension Credit
	The Pension Service has undertaken a wide range of steps to encourage eligible pensioners to claim pension credit.
	We have written to everyone who we believe may have an entitlement to pension credit, encouraging them to apply.
	In addition, we are improving our service and encouraging take up by enabling new customers who call to claim their state pension, to also apply for pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit in a single call if appropriate.
	The Pension Service Local Service offers face-to-face visits to the most vulnerable pensioners during which full benefit entitlement checks are carried out. One million home visits were carried out during 2006-07.
	The Pension Service Local Service is continuing to work very closely with local partners (including local authorities and voluntary organisations such as Help the Aged and Age Concern) to maximise take upof pension credit. We are widening the scope of partnership activity and expanding our current work programme with key utilities and other major companies whose customers include likely eligible non- recipients of pension credit. These activities are being supported by national press advertising to maintain the high profile of pension credit. Local marketing and media campaigns will be targeted in those regions and areas where there are relatively high numbers of eligible non-recipients.
	 Winter Fuel Payment
	Winter fuel payments are made to people aged 60or over (men and women). Over 99 per cent. of the payments are made automatically without the need to claim. Some people who are not in receipt of a benefit administered by DWP need to claim. Each year we send claim forms automatically to everyone who we know from departmental records will be aged 60 bythe end of the qualifying week and for whom we havea current address. An extensive publicity campaign begins in July and includes advertisements in both regional and national newspapers.

Poverty: Greater London

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of  (a) all people,  (b) children,  (c) working age disabled people and  (d) disabled children in London were living in severe low income (defined as less than 40 per cent.of contemporary median income) in each year since 1996-97.

Jim Murphy: The information requested is not available.

State Retirement Pensions: Females

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women reaching age 60 in 2005 are recorded as having at least one year of Home Responsibilities Protection which  (a) did not coincide with a year which qualified for a retirement pension on the basis of contributions or credits,  (b) did coincide with such a year and  (c) coincided with a year in which there was a Class 1 reduced rate National Insurance election.

James Purnell: pursuant to the  reply, 14 March 2007, Official R eport, c. 382W
	 : Of those women reaching age 60 in 2005-06:
	 (a) Around 180,000 are recorded as having at least one year of Home Responsibilities Protection which did not coincide with a year which qualified for basic state pension on the basis of contributions and/or credits.
	 (b) Around 430,000 women are recorded as having at least one year of Home Responsibilities Protection which did coincide with a year which qualified for basic state pension on the basis of contributions and/or credits.
	 (c) Finally, around 60,000 are recorded as having at least one year of Home Responsibilities Protection which coincided with a year in which there was a class 1 reduced rate national insurance election.
	As a result of these issues, the information used to answer this PQ only includes data up to and including the 2003-04 tax year.
	Additionally, the figures in the response are based on information available for women aged 58 in 2003-04, since these women are aged 60 in 2005-06. No allowance has been made for deaths between 2003-04 and 2005-06.
	Figures refer to women living in the UK as well as women living overseas.
	 Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000.
	2. Figures refer to women living in the UK and overseas.
	 Source:
	Lifetime Labour Market Database 2, 2006 release.

Winter Fuel Payments

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what procedures are in place toallow people to claim the winter fuel allowance retrospectively in cases where they had not been notified of its availability;
	(2)  what steps his Department takes to notify people about their eligibility to claim the winter fuel allowance benefit as they first become eligible.

James Purnell: Over 99 per cent. of winter fuel payments are made automatically without the need for a claim as we hold sufficient information on our benefit systems to identify the vast majority of eligible people. Some people who are not in receipt of a benefit administered by DWP need to claim. Each year we send claim forms automatically to everyone who is not in receipt of a benefit administered by DWP, but who we know from departmental records, will be aged 60 by the end of the qualifying week and where we have a current address. We also run an extensive publicity campaign which begins in July and includes advertisements in both regional and national newspapers. Information on winter fuel payments is also included in a number of leaflets including "Are you over 50?" and "The Pensioner's Guide", as well as a specific winter fuel payment leaflet and on The Pension Service website at
	www.thepensionservice.gov.uk/winterfuel.
	Claims for the years 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000 may still be made. Payments were originally made during these years to people receiving specified benefits only. Following a change in the rules in 2000, payments became available to people aged 60 or over regardless of whether they were receiving a benefit. This also applied to the earlier years and therefore no time limits were imposed for claims for these years. Time limits for claiming winter fuel payments apply from winter 2000-01 onwards and for people who need to claim, claim forms are available from July for the oncoming winter. In order to be successful, claims must be submitted by 30 March the following year. Any claims received after the cut off date will be disallowed. There is a right of appeal against any disallowance decision.

British Grand Prix: Tourism

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of  (a) the number of overseas tourists coming to the UK for the Grand Prix and  (b) the contribution of such tourists to the economy.

Shaun Woodward: No information is held centrally on overseas tourists coming to the UK for the Grand Prix.

Churches Conservation Trust

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport under what statutorypowers her Department intends to change the audit arrangements of the Churches Conservation Trust.

David Lammy: The Churches Conservation Trust has been classified as a non-departmental public body for the purposes of its relations with Government, on account of a number of the Trust's characteristics and the nature of its relationship with Government. In its response to Lord Sharman's Report on Audit and Accountability in Central Government (Cm 5456—March 2002), the Government agreed that all NDPBs should be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General. This was in line with the practice that had been adopted since 1997. Since 2003, the Treasury has used its powers under section 25(6) of the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000 to give the Comptroller and Auditor General statutory audit responsibility for more than 30 NDPBs and this is the legislation it will use in the case of the Churches Conservation Trust.

Cultural Heritage: Iraq

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of27 April 2007,  Official Report, column 1327W, on cultural heritage: Iraq, what  (a) reports she has received on and  (b) assessment she has made of the damage to sites of cultural heritage in Iraq since 2003.

Tessa Jowell: My Department received a copy of a report compiled by Dr. John Curtis, Keeper of the Department of the Ancient Near East at the British Museum, who in 2005, at the invitation of the Iraqi Government, carried out an assessment of the damage caused to the site of Babylon.
	Additionally, in February 2007 Dr. Curtis visitedthe important Mesopotamian site of Ur to assess its condition. Dr. Curtis' report on this visit is still being compiled.

Leeds United Football Club

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will instigate discussions with the football authorities on the implications for football in the community initiatives in which Leeds United Football Club is involved of the club's financial problems.

Richard Caborn: The Government welcome the significant grass roots and community work undertaken by football clubs. Football in the Community initiatives are now well established at virtually all professional football clubs in England and Wales, working to increase participation, promote healthy and active lifestyles and enabling clubs to forge meaningful relationships with their local communities. The Government are fully committed to supporting this work and continue to do so through Football Foundation funding.
	Neither the Secretary of State nor I have any plans to discuss with the football authorities the implications of Leeds United FCs financial difficulties for their football in the community scheme. This is a matter for the club and the football authorities.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who the members are ofthe Olympic Board, referred to in Note 3 of the minutes of the Olympic cost review steering groupof 28 November 2005.

Tessa Jowell: The members of the Olympic Board on 28 of November 2005 were Tessa Jowell, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, Lord Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and Lord Moynihan, Chairman of the British Olympic Association.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  if she will place inthe Library a copy of the briefing notes provided to the Treasury as referred to in Note 2 of the minutes of the Olympic cost review steering group of 14 November 2005;
	(2)  for what purpose the Treasury needed the briefing referred to in Note 2 of the minutes of the Olympic cost review steering group of 14 November 2005.

Tessa Jowell: As there was no briefing to the Olympic board steering group on 22 Dec 2005, no briefing was provided to the Treasury on this matter.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the  (a) dates and  (b) ministerial attendees were for each meeting held to brief the Treasury on the findings of the cost review.

Tessa Jowell: The dates of meetings were 20 July and 21 September 2006. The Ministers attending were as follows:
	On 20 July—the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the Minister of Sport and myself.
	On 21 September—I met with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the proportion of the Olympic Delivery Authority's construction work which will quality for Industrial Buildings Allowance.

Richard Caborn: holding answer 3 May 2007
	 According to the current legislation industrial buildings allowances (IBA) can be applied for by the person with a relevant interest who incurs expenditure on the construction of an industrial building onceit is brought into use for the purposes of a qualifying trade. The main qualifying trades are manufacturing, processing, certain storage businesses and transport undertakings. However, as announced in this year's Budget this particular allowance is to be phased out by 1 April 2011. As a result, it will not have any potential application to the construction and legacy use of the Olympic Park.

Sports: Children

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many children in  (a) West Bromwich East constituency and  (b) the West Midlands region have been nominated for a talented athlete scholarship scheme since its introduction.

Richard Caborn: Since its introduction in 2004 the talented athlete scholarship scheme has distributedan award to one athlete in the West Bromwich East constituency and 174 in the West Midlands region.

Sports: West Midlands

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Supporters Direct and the Supporters Trust Initiative in the West Midlands region.

Richard Caborn: Supporters Direct was establishedin 2000 and aims to deliver responsible democratic representation at football clubs through the establishment of Supporters Trusts. Over 140 trusts have alreadybeen established with Supporters Direct's help and over 120,000 people have been introduced to local democratic structures as club trust members.
	Supporters Direct has either directly or indirectly helped with the establishment of 27 trusts in the Midlands area of which 12 are located in the West Midlands. It has a full-time development worker providing dedicated help, advice, assistance and guidance along with access to training programmes and funding opportunities to the region.
	AFC Telford, a trust-owned club, has become a beacon of the supporters trust movement. Following the liquidation of the old Telford United during the 2003-04 season, AFC Telford established a supporters' trust which has made an important contribution to the club's success both on and off the field.
	Also, through funding from the Football Foundation, the club has created a successful community hub at their ground, the New Bucks Head, in the form of a learning centre which I had the pleasure of opening.

UK Film Council: Finance

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the projected funding allocation is for the UK Film Council in each of the next two financial years.

Shaun Woodward: For 2007-08, the UKFC will receive £24.11 million of grant in aid funding plus a £1 million capital award to go to the British Film Institute. The level of the grant in aid funding for 2008-09 willbe dependent on decision made in the current Comprehensive Spending Review.
	The UK Film Council also receives lottery funding. It is not possible to exactly forecast income from the lottery but, based on current projections for 2007-08, this funding might total around £30 million.
	The lottery funding available to the UK Film Council in 2008-09 cannot yet be estimated. It will depend to a significant extent on decisions made following consultation with lottery distributors on how to accommodate the proposed transfer, subject to parliamentary approval, of funds held in the National Lottery Distribution Fund to the Olympic Lottery Distribution Fund after 2009.

Courts: Manpower

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to her Answer of 30 April 2007,  Official Report, column 1452W, on courts: manpower, what research has been undertaken into the reasons for court service staff leaving.

Harriet Harman: Data in relation to the reasons for leaving Her Majesty's Courts Service is held on the HR IT system. The detail of why a person left is held locally and monitoring is carried out to assess trends and to decide any action that might need to be taken.
	For the period April 2006 to March 2007 the reasons for leaving HMCS were:
	
		
			   Percentage 
			 Resignation 68.50 
			 Retirement 22.60 
			 Death in Service 1.27 
			 Dismissal 3.95 
			 Severance 1.40 
			 Loan to OGD 0.90 
			 Transfer to OGD 1.38

Departments: Internet

Theresa May: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs for which Government websites she is responsible; how many visitors each received in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the cost  (a) was of establishing and  (b) has been of maintaining each site.

Vera Baird: The information requested is listed in the following table. The table details annual costs and unique visitors, for the period April 2006 to March 2007, for each of the websites for which my Department is responsible. We have a small number of contracts that provide support and maintenance for multiple sites. Where this is the case, the total cost of the contract is detailed underneath the table.
	
		
			  Ministry of Justice website costs and unique visitors April 2006-March 2007 
			  Organisation  Site address  Costs (£)  Unique visitors 
			 Adjudicator to HM Land Registry www.ahmlr.gov.uk Tribunals 13,633 
			 Asylum and Immigration Tribunal www.ait.gov.uk Tribunals 452,109 
			 Civil Justice Council www.civiljusticecouncil.gov.uk Central 35,227 
			 Commission for Judicial Appointments www.cja.gov.uk Central 11,614 
			 Commissioner for Judicial Appointments for Northern Ireland http://cjani.courtsni.gov.uk NICS 3,725 
			 Community Justice www.communityjustice.gov.uk Central 9,989 
			 Community Legal Service www.clsdirect.org.uk 411,414 1,567,393 
			 Coroners Service for Northern Ireland www.coronersni.gov.uk NICS 4,623 
			 Council on Tribunals www.council-on-tribunals.gov.uk Central 32,420 
			 Criminal Courts Review www.criminal-courts-review.org.uk Central 49,867 
			 Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel www.cicap.gov.uk Tribunals 26,279 
			 Department for Constitutional Affairs www.dca.gov.uk Central 2,868,072 
			 Employment Appeal Tribunal www.employmentappeals.gov.uk Tribunals 383,994 
			 Employment Tribunals www.employmenttribunals.gov.uk Tribunals 1,055,966 
			 Family Justice Council www.familyjusticecouncil.org.uk Central 23,660 
			 Finance and Tax Tribunals www.financeandtaxtribunals.gov.uk Tribunals 125,187 
			 Gambling Appeals Tribunal (launched January 2007) www.gamblingappealstribunal.gov.uk Tribunals 1,178 
			 Gender Recognition Panel www.grp.gov.uk Tribunals 26,052 
			 General Commissioners of Income Tax www.generalcommissioners.gov.uk Tribunals 11,529 
			 Her Majesty's Courts Service www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk 301,980 4,940,248 
			 Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Court Administration www.hmica.gov.uk Central 27,957 
			 Hutton Inquiry www.the-hutton-inquiry.org.uk Central 54,283 
			 Immigration Services Tribunal www.immigrationservicestribunal.gov.uk Tribunals 16,939 
			 Information Tribunal www.informationtribunal.gov.uk Tribunals 30,388 
			 Judicial Appointments and Conduct Ombudsman www.judicialombudsman.gov.uk Central 4,007 
			 Judicial Appointments Commission wwwjudicialappointments.gov.uk Central 79,015 
			 Judicial Studies Board www.jsboard.co.uk Central 184,478 
			 Judicial Studies Board for Northern Ireland www.jsbni.com NICS 4,088 
			 Judiciary www.judiciary.gov.uk Central 165,975 
			 Land Registry www.landreg.gov.uk 48,792 2,497,403 
			 Land Register Online www.landregisteronline.gov.uk As above No data available 
			 Lands Tribunal www.landstribunal.gov.uk Tribunals 73,580 
			 Law Commission www.lawcom.gov.uk Central 394,411 
			 Legal Services Commission www.legalservices.gov.uk 37,100 616,879 
			 Legal Services Research Centre www.lsrc.org.uk 130 No data available 
			 Legal Services Review www.legal-services-review.org.uk Central No data available 
			 Mental Health Review Tribunal www.mhrt.org.uk Tribunals 27,185 
			 Money Claim online www.moneyclaim.gov.uk 948,000 (1)69,422 
			 National Archives www.nationalarchives.gov.uk 440,930 7,005,974 
			 Northern Ireland Court Service www.courtsni.gov.uk 241,504 118,009 
			 Northern Ireland Court Service Education Online www.education.courtsni.gov.uk NICS No data available 
			 Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission www.nijac.org NICS 10,318 
			 Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Ombudsman www.nijao.gov.uk NICS No data available 
			 Office of Judicial Complaints www.judicialcomplaints.gov.uk Central 9,342 
			 Office of Legal Services Ombudsman www.olso.org 2,256 101,211 
			 Office of the Legal Services Complaints Commissioner www.olscc.gov.uk Central 11,201 
			 Official Solicitor and Public Trustee www.officialsolicitor.gov.uk Central 35,840 
			 Party Funding Review www.partyfundingreview.gov.uk Central 11,328 
			 Pensions Appeal Tribunal www.pensionsappealtribunals.gov.uk Tribunals 7,818 
			 Possession claims online (launched end October 2006) www.possessionclaim.gov.uk 370,385 (1)2,020 
			 Public Guardianship Office www.guardianship.gov.uk Central 432,786 
			 Review of Legal Aid Procurement www.legalaidprocurementreview.gov.uk Tribunals 34,661 
			 Social Security and Child Support Appeals Tribunal www.appeals-service.gov.uk Tribunals 64,440 
			 Social Security and Child Support Commissioners www.osscsc.gov.uk Tribunals 134,026 
			 Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal for England www.sendist.gov.uk Tribunals 35,015 
			 Transport Tribunal www.transporttribunal.gov.uk Tribunals 20,374 
			 Tribunals Review www.tribunals-review.org.uk — No data available 
			 Tribunals Service www.tribunals.gov.uk Tribunals 67,642 
			 (1) Number of claims issued through the site. Unique visitor numbers are not available. 
		
	
	Staff costs are not included and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The following two contracts are provided by Cable and Wireless under contract.
	Central contract: £715,344
	Tribunals contract: £109,764
	NICS: Northern Ireland Court Service has its owning hosting and maintenance arrangements at an annual cost of £274,296.

Freedom of Information

Dai Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 April 2007,  Official Report, column 7098W, on freedom of information, for what reasons her Department decided to publish submissions tothe first round of consultation on the Freedom of Information and Data Protection (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Draft Regulations 2007 only after the completion of the second round of consultation;and what consideration was given to the merits of publication of the first round of responses while the second round was still active.

Vera Baird: The consultation paper published by my Department on 14 December 2006 attracted interest from a variety of people and organisations, some of whom commented on the principle of the changes being proposed while others suggested that they would have welcomed an opportunity to do so.
	To ensure that people have the opportunity to express those views, my Department published a supplementary paper on the consultation inviting further comments on the principle of amending the 2004 regulations and also any further views on the draft regulations themselves as set out in the full consultation paper. The supplementary paper should be read together with the full consultation paper CP 28/06. The consultation period has therefore been extended until 21 June 2007
	My Department will publish its response only after we have carefully analysed and considered all the consultation responses together at the end of the consultation period.

Magistrates Courts

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many magistrates' courts there are in  (a) rural and  (b) non-rural areas.

Harriet Harman: There are 360 magistrates courts in England and Wales. Of the 323 magistrates courts In England, 106 are in rural and 217 in non-rural areas based on the DEFRA (Rural Definition and Local Authority classification). No information is available is on rural/non-rural areas for the 37 Welsh courts based on local authority classification.

Sentencing

David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuantto the answer of 30 April 2007,  Official Report,column 1455W, on sentencing, what factors the Court of Appeal Criminal Division considers in ensuring consistency of sentencing.

Harriet Harman: It is a matter of judicial discretion as to what factors the Court of Appeal Criminal Division take into account when considering an appeal. Among the factors likely to be considered are any guidelines of the Court of Appeal, any guidelines published by the Sentencing Guidelines Council, and common practice identified by previous decisions of that court.

Tribunals: Incapacity Benefit

John Grogan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average cost was of hearing an incapacity benefit appeal at a tribunal in the last 12 months.

Vera Baird: The information you have asked for is not available in the format requested as data is gathered over all appeals and not by specific benefit type.
	The overall average cost of clearing a Social Security appeal during the 2005-06 year was £260.

Victim Support Schemes

David Burrowes: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate has been made of the impact of the implementation of the victims' surcharge on the level of monies received from fines imposed by magistrates' courts.

Harriet Harman: It is estimated that there will be no significant impact on the level of monies received from fines imposed by magistrates courts following the implementation of the victims surcharge.

Departments: Golden Arrow Public Affairs

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what meetings Ministers in the Cabinet Office have had with representatives of Golden Arrow Public Affairs in the last 12 months.

Theresa May: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many meetings  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials from her Department held with Sovereign Strategy in each year between 1997 and 2006.

Hilary Armstrong: Ministers and civil servantsmeet many people as part of the process of policy development and advice. It is not normal practice to disclose details of such meetings.

Ministerial Residences

Oliver Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchyof Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 30 November 2006,  Official Report, column 890W, on ministerial residences, what the cost was of refurbishing the flat above 10 Downing Street.

Hilary Armstrong: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave him on 30 November 2006,  Official Report, column 890W.
	Information will be published in the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Resource Accounts when these have been audited.

Policy Review

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchyof Lancaster what plans she has to publish a full breakdown of the costs of the Government's Policy Review.

Hilary Armstrong: The Policy Reviews are still in progress and costs will not be available until they are complete. It will not be possible to provide a complete breakdown of all the costs, because some cannot be separated out from other work undertaken by officials.

Policy Review

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the timetable is for implementing recommendations from the Government's Policy Review.

Hilary Armstrong: The recommendations from the Policy Review are feeding into a range of Government business including the Comprehensive Spending Review, PSA targets and future departmental plans and strategies. Next steps specific to individual reviews are set out in the published reports—available on the Cabinet Office website.

British Nationality: Applications

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many applicants for British citizenship who made applications for naturalisation based on passes in tests on knowledge of life in the UK have had their application held in abeyance while the investigation into City-Wide Learning is underway;
	(2)  what the outcome is of his investigations into City-Wide Learning, based in Sheffield; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  when he expects those applicants for British citizenship who have made applications for naturalisation based on tests of knowledge of life in the UK, and who have had their application held in abeyance while he investigates City-Wide Learning, to be told the outcome of their application.

Liam Byrne: [holding answer 16 April 2007: The investigation by South Yorkshire Police is still ongoing and it would not be appropriate to comment at this stage.
	Proposals are being drawn up for further consideration of the applications being held in the light of concerns about the City-Wide Learning Centrein Sheffield. The applicants will be notified of the outcome of these deliberations as soon as possible.

Burglaries: Greater London

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 April 2007,  Official Report, columns 1136-40W, on burglaries: Greater London, why  (a) recorded crime data is published on a financial year basis and  (b) conviction data is published on a calendar year basis; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 8 May 2007
	In 1997-98, agreement was reached to collect and publish the recorded crime data on a financial year basis. This was to reflect the movement to an increasingly performance-related culture. Police forces were already publishing financial year data in their chief constables' annual reports and the decision to move also removed the unnecessary effort by the police of providing calendar year data centrally.
	The annual Command Paper "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" which contains data on convictions, has been published on a calendar year basis for many years and there has been no decision to change this. Since the decision to publish recorded crime data on a financial year basis, there has not been a demand to align the period covered by both publications.

Criminal Casework Team

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what  (a) internal and  (b) external reviews of the Criminal Casework Team have been conducted in the last five years.

John Reid: I refer the hon. Member to the evidence given on 6 June 2006 to the Home Affairs Committee by Lin Homer, the chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency. During this evidence session, the chief executive provided a comprehensive account of the operation of the criminal casework directorate and the systematic failings which led to foreign nationals being released without deportation consideration.
	The chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency also explained in her letter of 9 October to the same Committee that an independent review is being undertaken by the Senior Director of Enforcement into how the release of the foreign national prisoners occurred. She anticipates receiving the review soonand will subsequently share the findings and lessons learned.

Departments: Internet

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department whether his Department  (a) sponsors and  (b) funds the confidential access website; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ryan: The site in question is not sponsored or funded by the Home Office.

Fines

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been given on-the-spot fines by the police since 1997; and what percentage went on to re-offend.

Tony McNulty: The Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) Scheme was implemented in all police forces in England and Wales in 2004 under provisions in the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. Prior to this the police did not have the option of issuing on the spot fines for minor offences, having instead to issue a caution, reprimand or final warning or refer offenders to the court system to bring them to justice. Data from the Penalty Notices for Disorder database held by the Office for Criminal Justice reform show that 210,120 PNDs were issued to offenders from January 2004 to December 2005. Provisional data for 2006 show that a further 192,583 were issued in that year.
	Data on the number of people issued with more than one PND is not held centrally and no estimate has been made. However, police forces do keep records of PND recipients on local databases which help inform local operational decisions. Forces are also required to enter details of those PNDs issued for recordable offences on the Police National Computer, however not all PND offences are recordable.
	
		
			  Table 1c: Number of PNDs issued to offenders aged 16 and over, by police force area, all offences, England and Wales 2004, 2005 and January-June 2006 provisional data 
			  Police force area  2004  2005 ( 1) 2006  Total 
			 Avon and Somerset 508 3,244 3,876 7,628 
			 Bedfordshire 503 1,239 1,602 3,344 
			 Cambridgeshire 359 1046 1,346 2,751 
			 Cheshire 972 2,387 2,265 5,624 
			 Cleveland 559 2,806 3,552 6,917 
			 Cumbria 578 1,220 1,677 3,475 
			 Derbyshire 656 1,593 2,537 4,786 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1,889 5,134 6,976 13,999 
			 Dorset 516 1,381 2,262 4,159 
			 Durham 597 1,149 1,583 3,329 
			 Essex 2,802 4,454 4,357 11,613 
			 Gloucestershire 473 1,721 2,654 4,848 
			 Greater Manchester 2,253 7,256 10,532 20,041 
			 Hampshire 2,116 3,658 4,365 10,139 
			 Hertfordshire 412 1296 5,312 7,020 
			 Humberside 1,596 3,265 5,385 10,246 
			 Kent 767 5,032 6,889 12,688 
			 Lancashire 5,077 10,222 12,401 27,700 
			 Leicestershire 756 1,909 2,376 5,041 
			 Lincolnshire 544 2,373 1,930 4,847 
			 London, City of 60 219 305 584 
			 Merseyside 3,929 11,937 11,269 27,135 
			 Metropolitan 12,758 18,047 20,171 50,976 
			 Norfolk 475 676 1,323 2,474 
			 North Yorkshire 1,078 1,596 2,367 5,041 
			 Northamptonshire 570 1,403 2,498 4,471 
			 Northumbria 211 2,147 6,307 8,665 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,060 2,119 2,205 5,384 
			 South Yorkshire 2,098 3,710 5,989 11,797 
			 Staffordshire 1,450 2,169 3,209 6,828 
			 Suffolk 472 901 1,460 2,833 
			 Surrey 203 641 2,819 3,663 
			 Sussex 1,509 4,193 5,023 10,725 
			 Thames Valley 1,038 5,795 6,676 13,509 
			 Warwickshire 481 933 1,016 2,430 
			 West Mercia 275 1,774 3,433 5,482 
			 West Midlands 4,773 7320 7,925 20,018 
			 West Yorkshire 4,277 9,217 8,866 22,360 
			 Wiltshire 610 1,080 1,224 2,914 
			 Dyfed Powys 459 1,214 1,353 3,026 
			 Gwent 424 1,511 1,908 3,843 
			 North Wales 1,255 3,792 6,049 11,096 
			 South Wales 241 1,702 5,311 7,254 
			 England and Wales 63,639 146,481 192,583 402,703 
			 (1 )Provisional figures

Kidnapping: Children

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Child Rescue Alert Service introduced by police forces.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 27 April 2007
	 : The use of Child Rescue Alert is an operational matter for the chief officer of each individual force concerned. The scheme is sponsored by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and is based on a model piloted by Sussex police. ACPO advise that since the scheme was rolled out nationally in 2006, there have beenno activations and consequently no evaluation has taken place. I understand from the National Policing Improvement Agency that Child Rescue Alert will be included as part of the NPIA's bi-annual review of the National Missing Persons Guidance.

National Disabled Police Association

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Minister for Policing, Security and Community Safety has met representatives from the National Disabled Police Association to discuss their current funding arrangements.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 24 April 2007
	I have established a pattern of regular meetings with the National Disabled Police Association and otherpolice associations. I last met NDPA representativeson 17 April 2007 and discussed arrangements for the funding of their organisation.

Police Manpower

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department pursuant to the answer of26 February 2007,  Official Report, column 1082W, on police manpower, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in the numbers on the effectiveness of policing; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Effective policing is delivered by police officers, police staff and police community support officers. Decisions on their number in each force is a matter for the Chief Officer of Police. In December 2006 I suspended the system of financial penalties attached to the Crime Fighting Fund to provide greater flexibility for forces to plan their workforce. It is too early to assess the impact of this decision, but we are monitoring officer numbers on a quarterly basis and will intervene if there are genuine performance concerns that are clearly linked to a fall in officer numbers. In addition, the review of policing in England and Wales which the Home Secretary has asked Sir Ronnie Flanagan to carry out will consider the efficient and effective use of resources.

Police National Computer: Personal Records

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many records have been removed from the Police National Computer as exceptional cases at the discretion of senior police officers where the data subject had been wrongfully arrested;
	(2)  how many records were removed from thePolice National Computer as exceptional cases atthe discretion of senior police officers in each year since 2003.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 20 March 2007
	We only have records since the introduction of the Association of Chief Police Officers 'Retention Guidelines for Nominal Records on the Police National Computer incorporating the Step Down Model' which was published in March 2006.
	In 2006—79 cases removed with another 46 cases in the process of removal.
	In 2007—one case removed with 23 cases to be removed.

Police: EC Countries

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the meetings he has held with Ministers from other European Union countries on policing matters between 1 January and31 March 2007.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 24 April 2007
	Home Office Ministers meet their ED counterparts on a regular basis at the Justice and Home Affairs Council. My hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, North, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office (Joan Ryan) attended the Informal Council in Dresden on 15-16 January and the formal Council in Brussels on 15-16 February. Policing matters were discussed at both.
	During the period 1 January to 31 March 2007, the Home Secretary met the Irish Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr. McDowell and Vice President of the European Commission, Commissioner Frattini. Policing matters such as organised crime and the Prüm information exchange system were discussed at both meetings. In addition, I visited Turkey to discuss organised crime in March.

Police: Heathrow Airport

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many armed police were asked to assist with the arrival of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Heathrow airport on22 April; and what the cost was of their employment for this period.

Tony McNulty: This is an operational matter for the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis.

Police: Unmanned Air Vehicles

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has heldwith  (a) ministerial colleagues,  (b) representatives of industry and  (c) police forces on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles in tackling (i) crime and (ii) terrorism.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 24 April 2007
	The Home Office continues to monitor and explore the development of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology for a range of policing and security applications through the Home Office Scientific Development Branch and Home Office Aviation Advisor working in conjunction with Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) Air Support Committee.
	An area of overriding concern for UAV deployment is the safety of other aircraft and members of the public. These are such important issues that theCivil Aviation Authority (CAA) places substantial restrictions on when, where and how such aircraft might be deployed. Unfortunately, however attractive the UAV solution may appear at first sight the CAA/safety issues cannot be put aside.
	Representatives of industry are being consulted and involved through groups such as the UAV Systems Association. These industry representatives are also working closely with CAA and other regulatory bodies to ensure safety concerns are identified and addressed opening up the potential future use by the police in UK civil airspace.

Prison Service: Corruption

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department what steps he is taking to strengthen the approach of HM Prison Service against staff corruption; how many full-time equivalent staff are engaged in activities against staff corruption inside HM Prison Service; what budget has been allocated to the  (a) detection and  (b) discipline of staff involvedin staff corruption in HM Prison Service; who is responsible for the management of the effort against staff corruption in HM Prison Service; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
	There is an on going improvement plan to strengthen the approach to tackling corruption within the Prison Service. The matter of resources and staff has been addressed previously in my response to the hon. Gentleman on 1 March 2007,  Official Report,columns 1518-19W and 2 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1683W.
	Corruption is tackled through the operational line, with policy being set by HMPS Security Group overseen by the Director of High Security

Prison Service: Termination of Employment

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many HM Prison Service staff were dismissed for suspected criminal activity at each prison establishment in each of the last five years;what proportion of these cases involved  (a) police investigations and  (b) prosecutions; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
	The public sector Prison Service does not currently hold the information centrally in the format requested. The contracted estate has been able to provide some information on the number of staff dismissed in the last five years, which is contained in the followingtable Further information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Table: Number  of dismissals from contracted prisons for suspected criminal activity in the last five years, and the no. of police investigations and prosecutions arising 
			   Dismissals  Investigations and prosecutions 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  
			 Ashfield 0 <5 0 0 0 <5 
			 Bronzefield (1)— 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Doncaster 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Dovegate 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Forest Bank 0 <5 <5 <5 <5 (2)<5 
			 Lowdham Grange 0 <5 <5 <5 0 5 investigations <5 prosecutions 
			 Parc 0 0 0 0 0 Nil 
			 Peterborough (3)— <5 <5 <5 (4)<5 investigations 
			 Altcourse, Rye Hill, and Wolds(5) <5 0 <5 <5 <5 <5 
			 (1) Opened June 2004. (2) Corporate HR at Kalyx is unable to confirm whether any further investigations or prosecutions were carried out for dismissals at HMP YOI Forest Bank. (3) Opened March 2005. (4) Corporate HR at Kalyx is unable to confirm whether anyone was prosecuted as a result of police investigations at HMP Peterborough. (5) Due to the reporting system used by Corporate HR at GSL, figures are only available as a combined total for all three of the sites that they manage NB Numbers are expressed as 'less than five' in order to avoid the identification of individuals.

Prisons: Training

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which companies were contracted by his Department to carry out training for  (a) prisoners and  (b) prison staff in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested on companies contracted for training both public sector prisoners and public sector prison staff is available in part only. The information is drawn from the contracts register held by the Prison Service National Procurement Unit and a list of current HM Prison Service suppliers is as follows. In addition, Serco, G4S, Kalyx and GSL are contracted by the Home Office to provide private sector custodial places, including the provision of training. Additional information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	 Current Providers of Education Services to Prisoners
	Amersham and Wycombe College
	Blackpool and Flyde College
	CfBT
	City College Manchester
	City College Norwich
	Dudley College
	East Riding College
	Evesham College
	Derby College
	Filton College
	Gwent College
	Highbury College
	Isle of Wight College
	Kent Adult Education
	Kingston Upon Hull
	Lancaster and Morecambe College
	Matthew Boulton College
	Milton Keynes College
	Nescot College
	New College Durham
	Northbrook College
	Reed Learning
	Runshaw College
	Strode College
	Sussex Downs College
	Tamworth and Lichfield College
	Wigan and Leigh College
	 Current Providers of Resettlement Services to Prisoners
	Business in Prisons
	Lincolnshire Action Trust
	Edexcel
	Open University
	Worc. County Council
	Ormiston Trust
	VSC
	Careers Enterprise Ltd.
	Shaw Trust
	Citizens Advice Bureau
	Shelter
	Foundation Training Co. Ltd
	Prof. William Marshall
	BICS Workshop
	Preparation for Work
	YMCA
	De Paul Trust
	St. Mungo's
	NACRO
	Beacon Support Ltd.
	Jim Heaven
	St. Giles Trust
	Braunstone Community Association.
	Radio Feltham
	Revolving Doors
	Enterprise Regeneration Partnership
	The Princes Trust
	SOVA
	Connexions
	New Bridge Foundation
	T3 Associates
	Gamble Rail Training
	Robert J McGrath
	Apex Trust
	Group 4 Falck Global
	Working Links
	Hibiscus
	CSL at Achiles
	OCDA
	Technics
	London Borough of Hounslow Youth
	Spurgeons Child Care
	Building Services Ltd
	Inside Out Trust
	Working Links
	 Current Providers of Drugs Services to Prisoners
	County Durham and Darlington Primary Services
	CRI
	Lifeline Project Ltd.
	The Seagrove Trust
	Inclusion
	Pheonix House
	ADAPT
	Addaction
	Shropshire SMS
	Avon and Wiltshire Partnership
	EDP
	WGCADA
	RAPT
	In-Volve
	 Current Providers of Training to HMPS Staff
	Woodland Grange
	Office of Public Management
	Harrop Associates
	PL
	Charicters
	University of Cambridge
	Centre for High Performance Development
	HB International
	ITAC
	Cannock Chase Technical College
	Leadership Research and Development Ltd
	Reed Training
	Passe Partout
	Highfield Co. Ltd
	Joshua Group
	TSO Consulting Ltd
	Cannock Chase Technical College
	Bray Leino
	ROSPA
	NICEIC Group Ltd
	TDP Development Ltd
	St. John's Ambulance
	Forum UK
	JTL Training
	Creative Forum

Sentencing

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many indefinite sentencesof public protection have had a minimum term of  (a) 12 months or less,  (b) two years or less,  (c) five years or less and  (d) 10 years or less.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on prisoners received into prisons in England and Wales under Indeterminate Sentences for Public Protection (IPP) between April 2005 and March 2006, by length of tariff (minimum term), can be found in the following table. It is also available as Table 11.2 in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin: Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library.
	
		
			  IPP Tariffs by characteristic of prisoner( 1) :( ) England and Wales 
			   Number of IPPs by length of tariff (months)  Quartiles of length of tariff (months) 
			   1-18  19-36  37-48  49-60  61-120  121 +  Not recorded  Total  Lower quartile  Median  Upper quartile 
			  Total 147 326 107 46 53 4 24 706 21 30 42 
			 Female 9 15 0 2 0 0 0 26 17 24 32 
			 Male 138 311 107 44 53 4 24 680 21 30 42 
			 
			  Total 22% 48% 16% 7% 8% 1% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 Female 35% 58% 0% 8% 0% 0% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 Male 21% 47% 16% 7% 8% 1% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 
			  All ethnic groups 147 326 107 46 53 4 24 707 21 30 42 
			 White 120 250 74 34 40 3 18 539 20 30 42 
			 Mixed 3 10 4 0 0 0 0 17 20 27 17 
			 Asian or Asian British 1 12 7 3 2 0 0 25 31 36 45 
			 Black or Black British 11 36 15 7 9 0 6 84 24 31 48 
			 Chinese or Other 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 
			 Not Stated 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Unrecorded 11 17 7 2 1 1 0 39 0 0 0 
			 
			  All ethnic groups 22% 48% 16% 7% 8% 1% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 White 23% 48% 14% 7% 8% 1% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 Mixed 18% 59% 24% 0% 0% 0% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 Asian or Asian British 4% 48% 28% 12% 8% 0% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 Black or Black British 14% 46% 19% 9% 12% 0% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 Chinese or Other 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0 0 0 
			 Not Stated 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0 0 0 
			 Unrecorded 28% 44% 18% 5% 3% 3% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 
			  All ages 147 326 107 46 53 4 24 707 21 30 42 
			 15-17 4 14 2 0 0 0 1 21 21 24 30 
			 18-20 31 64 11 4 6 1 1 118 18 24 36 
			 21-24 33 60 16 9 8 1 6 133 18 28 39 
			 25-29 19 57 25 12 10 0 4 127 24 32 48 
			 30-39 34 84 34 11 16 1 7 187 24 32 44 
			 40-49 15 34 14 6 9 1 4 83 21 36 48 
			 50-59 8 8 3 3 4 0 1 27 17 27 56 
			 60+ 2 5 1 0 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 
			 Not recorded 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 
			 
			  All ages 22% 48% 16% 7% 8% 1% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 15-17 20% 70% 10% 0% 0% 0% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 18-20 26% 55% 9% 3% 5% 1% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 21-24 26% 47% 13% 7% 6% 1% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 25-29 15% 46% 20% 10% 8% 0% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 30-39 19% 47% 19% 6% 9% 1% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 40-49 19% 43% 18% 8% 11% 1% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 50-59 31% 31% 12% 12% 15% 0% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 60+ 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0 0 0 
			 Not recorded 33% 0% 33% 33% 0% 0% 0% 100% 0 0 0 
			 (1) IPP information up to w/c 27 March 2006.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Care is taken when processing and analysing the returns but the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and so although shown to the last individual, the figures may not be accurate to that level.

Sri Lanka

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received from the Government of Sri Lanka; andwhat discussions have taken place following such representations.

Tony McNulty: Any recent representations made by the Government of Sri Lanka would have been made on a confidential basis, and it is the Government's policy to respect that confidentiality.

Departments: Energy

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) instructions are issued to staff in her Department and  (b) technical procedures are in place to shut down computers at night.

Angela Smith: Communities and Local Government and its agencies issue instructions totheir staff to shut down computers and other office equipment at night. Staff in HQ buildings are also encouraged to switch off their monitors during the day when they are away from their desks for more than five minutes. These messages are consolidated by posters in working areas and in photocopier rooms. Surveys are regularly conducted to monitor if these instructions are followed.
	Depending on their configuration PCs used by the Department are set up so that the monitor and/orhard disk go into standby, or power down, after a predetermined period of inactivity.
	Some networking equipment needs to run continuously and is shut down only for maintenance.

Local Government Finance

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of how much local authority spending was  (a) ring-fenced,  (b) for statutory purposes and  (c) discretionary in each year since 1997.

Phil Woolas: The following table sets out the amount of local authority spending which was funded by ring-fenced grants as recorded in the revenue outturn returns which local authorities send to the Department:
	
		
			   £ billion 
			 1997-98 1.6 
			 1998-99 2.1 
			 1999-2000 2.7 
			 2000-01 3.9 
			 2001-02 5.2 
			 2002-03 6.4 
			 2003-04 8.3 
			 2004-05 7.8 
			 2005-06 7.2 
			  Source: Communities and Local Government Revenue Outturn returns. 
		
	
	The table sets out those ring-fenced grants inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF) (i.e. revenue grants paid for councils' core services). The figures exclude grants outside AEF such as housing benefit subsidy, capital grants, funding for local authorities' housing management responsibilities and those grant programmes (such as European funding) where authorities are simply one of the recipients of funding paid towards an area.
	My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the 2007 Budget that we will set out a clear target to reduce specific grants and ring-fenced funding.
	It is for individual local authorities to determinehow much of their spending is required to fulfil their statutory duties and how much is available for discretionary purposes. The Department does not compile information on local authority expenditure in a way which separates out spending on statutory and discretionary purposes.

Local Government: Equal Pay

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to ensure that local authorities have equal pay policies for male and female staff.

Phil Woolas: It is for individual local authorities, as employers, to determine pay policies for their staff, subject to the relevant statutory requirements.
	Local authorities set their own pay policies andmost place staff on a pay scale which is negotiatedat a national level between the unions and local government.
	Like any other employer, local authorities are subject to the provisions of the Equal Pay Act 1970 and the Sex Discrimination Act 1975.
	In setting their pay policies, local authorities must also comply with the Gender Duty, which places a statutory obligation on all public authorities to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawfulsex discrimination and harassment and to promote equality of opportunity between women and men in carrying out their functions.

Roads: Newcastle upon Tyne

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was provided by central Government for the Shields Road regeneration programme in East Newcastle;and whether any payment was made into the redevelopment programme from the planning gain on the land used for the supermarket development at the west end of Shields Road.

Phil Woolas: The Shields Road regeneration programme has received £25 million from the Single Regeneration Budget round 2, and ongoing development support of £147,000 from Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.
	The Secretary of State holds no information about any planning gain arising from the new supermarketin Shields Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. Any such contributions would normally have been an arrangement between Newcastle upon Tyne city council, as local planning authority, and the supermarket developer. The city council would have been required to place a copy of any agreement of this kind on the public planning register, alongside the decision on the application.

Members: Correspondence

Graham Stringer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to the lettersfrom the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley of7th February and 13th March.

John Healey: I have replied to the hon. Member.

VAT: National Lottery Projects

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration he has given to the VAT treatment of  (a) the Cricklands County Way and  (b) other Big Lottery Living Landmarks projects.

John Healey: The general position is that the receipt of lottery grants will normally be outside the scope of VAT as they are generally not payment for any supplies.
	Purchases made using grant income will be subject to the normal rules of VAT. VAT incurred on purchases made with grant income can be recovered through the VAT system to the extent that it relates to the grantee's taxable business activities. VAT can not usually be recovered on purchases related to an organisation's exempt supplies or non-business activities. Applicants for lottery funding should always consider irrecoverable VAT when making their bids.
	Section 18 of the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 does not permit HM Revenue and Customs to disclose information relating to the tax affairs of individual taxpayers.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations she has received on the Termination of Pregnancy Bill; how many such representations  (a) supported and  (b) opposed the Bill; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: We contacted a range of Government Departments and stakeholders to get the best possible understanding of the implications of the Termination of Pregnancy Bill to draw up a Regulatory Impact Assessment. We did not specifically ask these organizations (or individuals representing them) whether they supported or opposed the proposed legislation. The consultation was solely to obtain views on the outcomes that were considered most likely to occur in the event of introducing the legislation proposed in the Bill.
	A list of those consulted (through written feedback and/or through personal interviews) is as follows:
	 Government Departments
	Department of Health
	Department for Education and Skills
	Department for Constitutional Affairs
	Department for Work and Pensions
	Scottish Executive
	Office for National Statistics
	 Professional bodies and other stakeholders
	British Medical Association
	Nursing and Midwifery Council
	Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
	Royal College of Nursing
	Independent Advisory Group on Sexual Health and HIV
	British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
	Confidential Enquiry into maternal and Child Health
	British Pregnancy Advisory Service
	Brook
	Family Planning Association
	Fraterdrive Limited
	LIFE
	Marie Stopes International
	Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child
	University of Southampton
	Information Services Division, NHS National Services Scotland

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to publish the annual abortion statistics 2006; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The annual 2006 abortion statistics will be published by the Department in June 2007. Provisional abortion data for January to September 2006 is available in the Office for National Statistics1 publication Health Statistics Quarterly 33, copies of which are available in the Library.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions her Department has had with West Midlands Perinatal Institute on its recent study of the abortion of foetuses on grounds of disability; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Department has not had any discussions with West Midlands Perinatal Institute on its recent study on abortions for foetal abnormality.
	We are aware that some babies are born showing signs of life following an abortion for foetal abnormality. The management of these cases rests with the clinical team involved, taking into account allthe relevant factors and circumstances. The British Medical Association, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the British Association of Perinatal Medicine have issued guidance to clinicians on this sensitive issue.
	While there continues to be medical advances in caring for premature babies, it is very rare for babies born at 22 weeks gestation or under to survive. The RCOG recommends that for all terminations at gestational age of more than 21 weeks and six days, the method chosen should ensure that the foetus is born dead.
	The guidance goes on to say that where the patient chooses not to have feticide in the presence of a lethal abnormality, discussion must take place within the appropriate team, and the patient's wishes and agreement sought on the management of the foetus after birth.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department issues to primary care trusts and strategic health authoritieson the  (a) minimum and  (b) maximum catchment population for each accident and emergency department when planning the reconfiguration of services.

Andy Burnham: It is a matter for the local national health service to ensure that there is appropriate provision of urgent and emergency services that are responsive to people's needs.

Alcoholic Drinks: Consumption

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of  (a) men and  (b) women who drink more than the recommended weekly amounts of alcohol; and what assessment she has made of trends in alcohol consumption since 1992.

Caroline Flint: In 2005, 24 per cent. of men and13 per cent. of women drank more than 21 units and14 units respectively each week.
	The table shows average weekly alcohol consumption between 1992 and 2005. During the 1990s and up to 2001, the data shows an increase in average weekly consumption; the figure for 2005 shows a reduction.
	It is important to note that as a result of an inter-departmental review (Sensible Drinking; Department of Health 1995) Government advice on sensible drinking was changed from a weekly to adaily benchmark. This was to recognise the dangersof excessive drinking in a single session. Data on maximum daily amount drunk last week has only been collected by the General Household Survey from 1998 onwards and therefore trend information back to 1992 is not available on that measure.
	
		
			  Persons aged 16 and over, average weekly alcohol consumption by units 
			   Unweighted  Weighted   
			   1992  1994  1996  1998  1998  2000  2001  2002  2005  Weighted base 2005 (000's) = 100 per cent.  Unweighted sample 2005 
			 Total 10.2 10.0 10.7 11.0 11.5 12.0 12.1 12.1 10.8 41,744 19,956 
			  Note:  In 2000, the decision was made to weight the data to compensate for under-representation of people in some groups. This table shows weighted and unweighted data for 1998 to give an indication of the effect of weighting. Caution should be exercised when comparing weighted and unweighted data.  Source:  General Household Survey 2005, Smoking and Drinking Among Adults; Office for National Statistics

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Health what assessment she has made of the2004 Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy since the introduction of extended licensing hours.

Caroline Flint: The Licensing Act 2003 came into force on 24 November 2005 and introduced a number of measures including removing the fixed closinghours which contributed to large concentrations of customers, provoking disorder and nuisance. Evaluation of the Act formed part of the Government's Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy, which is currently being reviewed. We will be publishing a renewed strategy shortly.

Ambulance Services: West Midlands

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what mechanism and to what extent public opinion has been taken into account in the review of ambulance control rooms by the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Andy Burnham: Section 242 of the National Health Service Act 2006 requires NHS organisations, including ambulance trusts, to involve and consult patients and the public in the planning of services, in developments of proposals for changes in services, and in decisions affecting the operation of services. In addition, the Department issued policy and practice guidance to the NHS in respect of this matter in 2003 and we would expect this to be adhered to.
	It is for the NHS locally to determine whether ornot a particular issue constitutes a service change.NHS West Midlands reports that the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust has decided to undertake a public consultation in relation to itsreview of control rooms. However, the details of this consultation have yet to be determined.

Antibiotics

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of courses of antibiotics that were prescribed in England in each of the last 30 years.

Caroline Flint: Data held by the Departmentonly readily identifies antibiotic prescription items dispensed in the community, more than one of which could constitute a course of treatment. A full 30 years of community prescribing data is not available, only from 1980 onwards:
	
		
			  Prescription items dispensed in the community in England 
			   M illion 
			 1980 32.8 
			 1981 31.3 
			 1982 34.7 
			 1983 34.0 
			 1984 34.7 
			 1985 37.9 
			 1986 37.0 
			 1987 37.9 
			 1988 39.8 
			 1989 39.4 
			 1990 39.7 
			 1991 43.7 
			 1992 43.4 
			 1993 47.7 
			 1994 45.8 
			 1995 49.4 
			 1996 46.6 
			 1997 46.4 
			 1998 42.6 
			 1999 38.6 
			 2000 36.9 
			 2001 37.9 
			 2002 37.0 
			 2003 37.6 
			 2004 36.5 
			 2005 37.2 
			  Note: Data from 1980 to 1990 is only partial and not consistent with data from 1991 onwards. Figures up to 1990 are based on fees and a sample of one in 200 prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists and appliance contractors. Figures for 1991 onwards are based on items and cover all prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacists, appliance contractors dispensing doctors and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered.

Bacterial Diseases: Screening

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of  Campylobacter tests.

Caroline Flint: The  Campylobacter detection methods used by official food testing laboratoriesare either national or international standards.  Campylobacter detection methods used by the Food Standards Agency's contractors in its surveys are also national or international standards. These methods are fit for purpose to compare against requirements of food regulations and guidelines.

Blood

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much her Department spent on the production of blood products in the UK for use by haemophiliacs in  (a) 1977,  (b) 1978 and  (c) 1979; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how much her Department spent on the production of blood products in the UK for use by haemophiliacs in  (a) 1980,  (b) 1981,  (c) 1982,  (d) 1983 and  (e) 1984; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  how much her Department spent on increasing blood donations at regional transfusion centres in  (a) 1985,  (b) 1986,  (c) 1987,  (d) 1988 and  (e) 1989; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  how much her Department spent on increasing blood donations at regional transfusion centres in  (a) 1977,  (b) 1978 and  (c) 1979; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: This information can be provided only at a disproportionate cost However, in 1975 up to 500,000 (about half of which would be recurring) was allocated to Regional Transfusion Centres to increase plasma supplies to Blood Products Laboratory. This funding was allocated to enable the United Kingdom to achieve self sufficiency in blood products. Further information is available in the report "Self Sufficient in Blood Products in England and Wales" which is available in the Library. The supporting references to the report are in the public domain.

Blood

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Health 
	(1)  many patients were given blood contaminated with  (a) HIV and  (b) hepatitis C while being treated by the NHS in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what steps are being taken by her Department to prevent contaminated blood reaching patients in the NHS.

Caroline Flint: The National Blood Service (NBS) is aware of one case of HIV transmission to a blood recipient since 1997. There have been no documented cases of transmission of hepatitis C through blood collected by the NBS since 1997.
	All blood provided for blood transfusion is screened for evidence of infection with HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, human T cell lymphotropic virus and Syphilis before being released for issue to hospitals. In addition, the NBS has put in place a number of precautionary measures against the risk vCJD, such as excluding people who have received blood transfusion from donating blood.

Blood

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Government's policy is on self sufficiency in blood products; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: We are not self-sufficient in plasma products. Bio Products Laboratory (BPL) produces a range of plasma products for the national health service and customers abroad. BPL operates in a competitive market, and the NHS has always been able to source plasma products from a range of suppliers. Recombinant clotting products are now available for the treatment of haemophilia patients.
	BPL originally made plasma products from plasma collected from British blood donors. From 1999 BPL has obtained plasma from the United States as a precautionary measure against variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease transmission by United Kingdom plasma. All US plasma collection centres are highly regulated and conform to a strict code of practice.

Blood: Contamination

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many requests her Department has received for original copies of legal waivers signed by haemophiliacs undertaking not to take legal action against the Department or any other public body in respect of infection with HIV or hepatitis viruses as a result of infected blood products; how many such documents the Department has provided following those requests; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: In the period April 2006 to March 2007 the Department received three requests forcopies of waivers signed by haemophiliacs infected with HIV through blood products. The Department has been unable to satisfy these requests. There is no requirement for such waivers in relation to infection with hepatitis.

Blood: Contamination

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many legal waivers were recorded byher Department as being signed by haemophiliacs undertaking not to take legal action against the Department or any other public body in respect of infection with HIV or hepatitis viruses as a result of the use of infected blood products; how many original copies of such documents the Department holds; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: All new registrants of the Macfarlane Trust are routinely required to sign a Deed of Undertaking at the time of their registration, which indemnifies the Government against any further litigation.
	The Department currently hold 90 original waivers. A number of signed waivers, going back to 1989, were inadvertently destroyed with the files in which they were held. There is no requirement for such waivers in relation to infection with hepatitis.

Blood: Contamination

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance her Department  (a) has given and  (b) expects to give to the independent public inquiryinto the supply of contaminated NHS blood to haemophilia patients.

Caroline Flint: Officials met with members of the inquiry team on 25 April 2007 to discuss what information the Department may be able to provide to the inquiry. It was agreed that officials would provide a copy of a report, "Review of Documentation Relating to the Safety of Blood Products 1970-1985", whichis due to be issued shortly and will be placed inthe Library. Officials also agreed to provide some additional information regarding the chronology of certain events.

Campylobacter

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary ofState for Health what reports she has received on identifications of  (a) Helicobacter pullorum and  (b) other unusual Campylobacter-like isolates from poultry products.

Caroline Flint: There have been no reports received on identifications of unusual Campylobacter like isolates or Helicobacter pullorum from poultry products in the United Kingdom.

Childbirth: Finance

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how the funding figure of £3.7 million allocated in the past year for medical research into preventing premature birth was decided;
	(2)  what factors will be taken into account in determining the level of future funding for medical research into preventing premature birth.

Caroline Flint: The estimate of expenditure on research into premature birth is the total cost in 2004-05 of relevant national research programme activity funded by the Department and the Medical Research Council (MRC) projects. It does not include expenditure from the research and development allocations made in that year to research active organisations in the national health service. That information is not held centrally.
	Neither the Department nor the MRC ring fence funds for expenditure on particular topic areas. Both organisations welcome applications for support into any aspect of human health and these are subjectto peer review and judged in open competition. Implementation of the; Department's researchstrategy "Best Research for Best Health" is introducing significant new funding opportunities through expansion in the number and size of our national research programmes.

Childbirth: Research

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received from Action Medical Research on concerns regarding the funding of medical research on premature birth; and what steps she is taking to address those concerns.

Caroline Flint: The chief executive of Action Medical Research wrote to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 21 December 2006 enclosinga petition calling for an increase in the public funding of research into premature birth. My noble Friendthe Minister of State (Lord Hunt) replied on29 January 2007.

Chlamydia Infection: Screening

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the long-term impact on  (a) health and  (b) fertility of not reaching the target for the number of young people to be screened for chlamydia in 2006-07;
	(2)  what estimate she made of the  (a) cost and  (b) future cost to the NHS of fertility treatment made necessary by the consequences of chlamydia infection.

Caroline Flint: The Chief Medical Officer's (CMO's) expert Advisory Group on "chlamydia trachomatis" was set up in November 1996 to advise on the issues associated with screening for genital chlamydial infection. Their report, published in 1998, concluded that screening and effective management of chlamydial infection would result in considerable health benefit. The annual cost of chlamydia and its consequencesin the United Kingdom is estimated to be more than £100 million. We are not aware of any updates on this estimate.
	As a result of the findings in this report a phased multi-faceted opportunistic strategy began in England in April 2003. Mathematical modelling has since confirmed the effectiveness of this approach. Other countries which introduced screening activities before England have seen reductions in both the prevalenceof chlamydia and its complications (pelvic infection rates and ectopic pregnancies) highlighting the huge potential of the national chlamydia screening programme on the sexual health of young people.
	No target has been set for chlamydia screening in 2006-07. For the first time a local delivery plan target has been introduced for 2007-08. Strategic health authorities have submitted plans to screen at least15 per cent. of their population aged 15-24 by March 2008.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Medical Treatments

David Lepper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has madeof the likely effects of implementation of the draft guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on the effective treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome; and what representations she has received on the draft guidance.

Caroline Flint: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently working to produce clinical guidance on chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). It is expected that this guidance will be published in August 2007. It would be inappropriate to make an assessment on the effect of implementation until the guidance is finalised.
	The Department frequently receives representations from individuals and groups with an interest in CFS/ME. As the Department is not responsible for the content of the clinical guidance, correspondents mentioning the guidance are made aware of the consultation process organised by NICE.

Cystic Fibrosis

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made with consideration of the application made to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on 29 January 2003 by the Cystic Fibrosis Trust for a clinical guideline for the care of cystic fibrosis.

Caroline Flint: The proposal by the Cystic Fibrosis Trust for a clinical guideline for the care of cystic fibrosis was considered as part of the topic selection process for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) 12(th )wave work programme. As a result of that consideration, Departmental Ministers, who make final decisions on the referral of clinical guideline topics to NICE, concluded that it was not appropriate to refer the topic to NICE at that time.

Dental Services

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of  (a) adults and  (b) children were registered with an NHS dentist in (i) City of York council area, (ii) North Yorkshire, (iii) Yorkshire and the Humber and (iv) England in (A) April 2007 and (B) at the same date in each of the last 10 years.

Rosie Winterton: Numbers of patients registered, by adult and child, in England, at strategic health authority (SHA) and primary care trust (PCT) level, as at 31 March 1997 to 2006 are available in annex Aof "NHS Dental Activity and Workforce Report, England: 31 March 2006". Information is based on the old contractual arrangements.
	This report has been placed in the Library. The report, published by the Information Centre for health and social care, is also available online at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-activity-and-workforce-report-england-31-march-2006
	Information on patients registered as a proportion of the population is available in annex B of the above report. England information is available for 1997 to 2006. SHA and PCT information is only available for 2001 to 2006.
	Under the new NHS dental contractual arrangements, patients no longer have to register with a practice to receive NHS dental services. Information is instead collected on the number of patients seen in the previous 24 months.
	Numbers of patients seen, by adult and child, in the 24 months ending 31 March, 30 June, 30 September and 31 December 2006, at SHA and PCT level, are available in section F1 of annex 3 of "NHS Dental Statistics for England Q3: 31 December 2006".
	This report has been placed in the Library. The report, published by the Information Centre for health and social care, is also available online at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/primary-care/dentistry/nhs-dental-statistics-for-england-q3:-31-december-2006
	Numbers of patients seen as a proportion of the population, by adult and child, in the 24 months ending 31 March, 30 June, 30 September and31 December 2006 in England, by PCT and SHA, are available in section F2 of the above report.

Departments: Managed Service Companies

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department has made an estimate of the cost to  (a) her Department and its executive agencies and  (b) the NHS of the proposed changes in the Finance Bill 2007 for tackling the risk posed to the Exchequer of the operational practices of managed service companies.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Timms) on 20 April 2007,  Official Report, column 863W.

Dietary Supplements: Channel Islands

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what powers she has to tackle the marketing in the UK by post from the Channel Islands of illegal food supplements and herbal remedies; and what steps she plans to take;
	(2)  when officials from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency last met with representatives of the UK food supplements and herbal remedies sector to discuss the marketing of illegal products and unsubstantiated health claims from the Channel Islands; and whether further meetings are scheduled;
	(3)  what procedures are followed by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in circumstances of complaints on the marketing of food supplements and herbal remedies from  (a) Jersey and  (b) Guernsey;
	(4)  if she will meet representatives of the UK food supplements and herbal remedies sector to discuss the marketing of illegal products and the use of illegal health claims from the Channel Islands.

Caroline Flint: There are no specific powers inthe Postal Services Act (2000) or in the medicines legislation administered by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), an Executive agency of the Department to control direct mail advertising from the Channel Islands. The legislation administered by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency does not apply to the Channel Islands. Advertisements issued from within the Islands would be the responsibility of the relevant authorities within those Islands.
	The MHRA's medicines borderline section met representatives from relevant United Kingdom trade associations on 6 March 2007 for the quarterly code administrators meeting. Issues relating to the Channel Islands were discussed at that meeting. The next code administrators meeting is scheduled for 6 June 2007.
	When looking at referrals the medicines borderline section firstly assesses it to see if there is any risk to public safety from the products. Cases where a risk is perceived are given a high priority. If a UK company or address is identified, action is taken to ensure compliance with legislation, this can be by way of dialogue or statutory process. If no UK company is involved any suspected illegal activity is referred tothe relevant authority in the Channel Islands for investigation.
	There are no plans for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, to meet with representatives of the UK food supplements and herbal remedies sector at this time.

Doctors: Training

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate her Department has made of the number of people who have gained unauthorised access to the Medical Training Application Service website.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 8 May 2007
	The Department has commissioned a report into the breach of security of Medical Training Application Service website, the findings of which we will publish. So far the security investigation has determined that21 separate internet protocol (IP) addresses, mostly belonging to authorised Postgraduate Deaneries, accessed the Medical Training Application Service website before the data was removed. Further analysis is ongoing to establish the extent of unauthorised access that took place.

Food: Advertising

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the potential effectiveness of the Office of Communications' advertising ban on junk food based on the Food Standards Agency's nutrient profiling model; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Office of Communications' (Ofcom) has assessed the impact of the new rules restricting television advertising to children for food that is high in fat, salt and sugar. They are expected to reduce children's exposure to advertising impacts by 41 per cent. for four to 15-year-olds and 51 per cent. for four to nine-year-olds. Ofcom will review the effectiveness and scope of the new restrictions in autumn 2008, one year after the full implementation of the new content rules.
	The Department will monitor the impact of new restrictions in both broadcast and non-broadcast media to see whether they deliver the Government's commitment to changing the nature and balance of food and drink advertising to children. An interim review will be conducted in autumn 2007, and the Department have committed to work with Ofcom and industry partners on a more detailed review in 2008. On that basis, the Government will decide whether further action, such as legislation, is required.

Food: Health Claims

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether food products making health claims referring to  (a) slimming and weight-control,  (b) psychology and behaviour and  (c) children's development and health (i) were able to be placed on the UK market after 19 January 2007 and (ii) will be able to be placed on the market after 7 July 2007 under EC Regulation 1924/2006 on Nutrition and Health Claims Made on Foods; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  whether food products making health claims based upon  (a) generally accepted scientific evidence and  (b) newly emerging science were (i) able to be placed on the UK market after 19 January 2007 and (ii) will be able to be placed on the market after 7 July 2007 under EC regulation 1924/2006 on Nutrition and Health Claims Made on Foods; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Regulation puts in place various transitional periods, and associated conditions, which allow health claims to continue to be made following the application date of 1 July and until the community list of health claims has been adopted. These transitional periods relate to the health claim, rather than the product or the nature of supporting evidence.
	The specific transitional period for claims which refer to the role of a nutrient or other substance in growth, development and the normal function of the body allows claims on the market prior to 19 January 2007 to continue to be used until 31 January 2010 (the date of adoption of the community list); claims which refer to psychological and behavioural functionsand slimming or weight control on the market prior to 19 January 2007 may continue to be used on the condition that an application for authorisation has been made prior to 19 January 2008. All these claims may remain on the market until a decision is taken whether or not to include them in the community list.
	The controls for claims referring to children's development and health were added late in negotiations and as a result specific transitional periods were not included. There is a possibility that a transition period could be included with an amendment on comitology currently being discussed. Both the Council and Commission have indicated that they would support this, if proposed by the European Parliament.

Health Hazards: Aerials

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice she has received from the Chief Medical Officer on the health effects of mobile telephone masts; and what studies are under way.

Caroline Flint: The Stewart report in 2000 comprehensively reviewed the scientific literature and concluded that, the balance of evidence to date suggests that exposures below international guidelines do not cause health effects to the general population, www.iegmp.org.uk. This report and a more recent review, "Mobile Phones and Health 2004", documents of the National Radiological Protection Board, volume 15, No. 5, form the basis of health advice relating to mobile phone technology. This advice is availableon the web site of the Health Protection Agency's Radiation Protection Division (HPA-RPD) at www.hpa.org.uk/radiation. Both these reports, additionally, recommended further research as part of an overall precautionary approach to the use of mobile phone technology pending the availability of more robust scientific research results.
	The independently managed mobile telecommunications and health research (MTHR) programme was set up in 2001 in response to the Stewart report recommendations. It is currently supporting a number of studies into the possible health effects of mobile phone technology and these are described on the MTHR website at:
	www.mthr.org.uk.
	All mobile phones and base stations in this country comply with international guidelines that are basedon comprehensive reviews of the scientific literature. Measurements undertaken by both the HPA and by Ofcom, www.ofcom.org.uk have consistently shown that exposures to radio signals from base stations are lower than the international guideline levels.

Health Services: Hertfordshire

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many finished consultant episodes there were at West Hertfordshire Acute Hospital Trust  (a) in each specialty and  (b) in total excluding the specialties transferred to Dacorum Primary Care Trust in each year since 2000.

Andy Burnham: The following tables show thecount of finished consultant episodes by speciality breakdown by West Hertfordshire Hospitals National Health Service Trust and Dacorum Primary Care Trust (PCT) a provider for the period 2000-01 to 2005-06 NHS Hospitals England
	
		
			   West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust 
			  Main specialty  2005-06  2004-05  2003-0 4  2002-03  2001-02  2000-01 
			 Not known — * — 16 97 1,243 
			 General surgery 9,697 9,900 9,668 9,195 8,838 9,023 
			 Urology 4,502 4,532 4,658 4,481 4,264 4,180 
			 Trauma and Orthopaedics 7,390 7,246 7,260 7,445 7,432 6,765 
			 Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) 1,236 1,090 1,064 918 1,246 1,229 
			 Ophthalmology 2,074 1,841 1,977 1,173 1,274 1,692 
			 Oral surgery 613 706 800 627 521 962 
			 Restorative dentistry — — — * — — 
			 Orthodontics — — — — — * 
			 Plastic surgery 8,018 7,712 7,912 7,178 6,679 6,624 
			 Cardiothoracic surgery — — 541 — — 38 
			 A&E 4,800 3,334 554 394 299 237 
			 Anaesthetics 506 442 * 448 464 467 
			 General Medicine 9,313 8,914 8,633 9,469 9,916 8,547 
			 Gastroenterology 5,872 5,767 5,631 5,205 5,498 5,052 
			 Endocrinology 129 200 282 389 676 1,007 
			 Haematology (clinical) 1,928 2,583 2,884 2,761 2,071 892 
			 Rehabilitation — — — * — 134 
			 Palliative Medicine — 331 351 355 400 343 
			 Cardiology 3,691 3,308 2,073 1,416 1,490 1,706 
			 Dermatology 252 551 564 675 850 911 
			 Thoracic medicine 1,714 1,225 1,362 1,305 1,324 1,461 
			 Genitourinary medicine — * — — — — 
			 Nephrology 20 46 16 * — * 
			 Medical oncology 292 748 707 505 491 538 
			 Neurology 17 17 * 20 23 35 
			 Rheumatology 816 502 393 172 183 89 
			 Paediatrics 5,430 4,998 5,293 4,973 — 2,405 
			 Geriatric medicine 7,313 7,501 6,819 5,930 4,751 4,995 
			 Obstetrics for patients using a hospital bed or delivery facilities 8,619 8,794 8,385 7,648 8,057 6,325 
			 Gynaecology 4,379 4,487 4,616 4,699 5,085 5,495 
			 Mental handicap — * * * — — 
			 Radiotherapy 820 4,768 * 4,606 5,138 5,202 
			 Haematology — — 4,688 — 181 1,149 
			 Immunopathology 138 112 96 107 73 15 
			 Total 89,579 91,662 87,245 82,118 77,321 78,765 
			  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care 
		
	
	
		
			  Dacorum PCT 
			   Dacorum PCT as a provider 
			  Main specialty  2005-06  2004-05  2003-04  2002-03  2001-02 
			 Geriatric medicine — 217 204 199 145 
			 Community medicine 272 — — — — 
			 Total 272 217 204 199 145 
			  Notes:  Data Quality Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England. The Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Finished Consultant Episode (FCE) An FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.  Specialty Care is needed when analysing HES data by specialty, or by groups of specialties (such as Acute). Trusts have different ways of managing specialties and attributing codes so it is better to analyse by specific diagnoses, operations or other recorded information.  Low Numbers Due to reasons of confidentiality, figures between 1 and 5 have been suppressed and replaced with '*' (an asterisk). We have used secondary suppression where the total figures were disclosive.  Ungrossed Data Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care

Health Services: Sex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 17 April 2007,  Official Report, column 570W, on abortion, if she will list the  (a) individuals and  (b) organisations consulted prior to the publication of the Recommended Standardsfor Sexual Health Services; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: A list of those consulted during the development of the Recommended Standards for Sexual Health Services can be found in Appendix D of the standards, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

Homeopathy

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State forHealth what assessment she has made of the level of availability of treatment in homeopathic hospitals to NHS patients in England.

Caroline Flint: The homeopathic hospitals in the United Kingdom fall under the jurisdiction of the national health service in the area in which they are based. Any decisions on the services any of these hospitals provide are the responsibility of those NHS health care organisations.
	The Government consider that decision-making on individual clinical interventions, whether conventional, or complementary/alternative treatments, have to bea matter for local NHS service providers and practitioners as they are best placed to know their community's needs. In making such decisions, they have to take into account evidence for the safety, clinical and cost-effectiveness of any treatments, the availability of suitably qualified practitioners, and the needs of the individual patient. Clinical responsibility rests with the NHS professional who makes the decision to refer and who must therefore be able to justify any treatment they recommend. If they are unconvinced about the suitability of a particular treatment, they cannot be made to refer.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the causes of the correlation between primary care trusts with low-age needs scores and health economies with greater distance from the out-patient booking time target reported in her Department's Chief Economist's report, Explaining NHS deficits, published on 20 February;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the reasonsfor the relationship between primary care trusts with low-age needs scores and health economies with greater distance from the four-hour accident and emergency waiting time target reported in her Department'sChief Economist's report, Explaining NHS deficits, published on 20 February.

Andy Burnham: There is a statistically significant relationship between starting positions in terms of meeting a number of important performance targets and age/needs. The correlation is not a perfect one (with correlation coefficients ranging from -0.28 in the case of distance to the accident and emergency-four hour wait and age/needs to -0.13 in the case of distance to the outpatient booking targets and age/needs). Some parts of the country with low age/needs did not have far to travel in meeting these targets. The reasons behind the relationship are complex.
	Historic under-performance in low age/needs areasis likely to have existed for some time. By raising the quality of care to uniform national standards, the Government have significantly improved services provided to patients in these areas.
	While distance to meeting performance targets was found to be a contributory factor in causing recent national health service deficits in certain parts of the country, as stated in the Chief Economist's report "Explaining NHS deficits, 2003/04-2005/06", it is by no means considered to be the only, or even the most important, contributory factor.
	The age and need index, and the interactions between them, are currently being reviewed by independent academic researchers under the auspices of the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation. A new age and need adjustment for weighted capitation may emerge from this research for resource allocation in 2008-09.

Hyperactivity: Medical Treatments

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has conducted into the use of  (a) diet and  (b) brain exercises to control developmental conditions such as Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder.

Caroline Flint: The new National Institute for Health Research South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and Institute of Psychiatry Biomedical Research Centre, funded by the Department, will research mental health disorders starting in childhood, including attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This will include work on cognitive therapy.
	The Medical Research Council, one of the main agencies through which the Government support biomedical research, currently supports a broad portfolio of research relevant to ADHD. A number of the programmes in the portfolio are directly relevant to the hon. Member's question and to ADHD more generally, and include research on the interaction of physical, environmental and social factors and on rehabilitation.
	The Food Standards Agency has published a systematic review of evidence on the effect of diet and nutrition on learning, education and performance in school aged children. This included studies examining ADHD symptoms. Overall, the review concluded that there is insufficient evidence to reach a firm conclusion on the effect of specific nutrients or foods on learning or performance.
	The link between diet and cognitive function is akey theme of the Food Standards Agency's Nutritional Status and Function research programme. Research completed to date has found no clear association between the two.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many human embryos were created in each year since the passage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990; and how many of these embryos have been brought to birth.

Caroline Flint: Information on the number of embryos that developed to a live birth is not held centrally nor by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). Data on the total number of treatment cycles, the number resulting in a live birth and the number of embryos created is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Total number of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment cycles, embryos created and treatments resulting in live births 1991 to 2004( 1) 
			   Treatments involving fresh (non- frozen) embryos  Treatments involving frozen embryos( 2)  Non-treatment( 3) 
			  Year (calendar)  Treatment cycles  Embryos created  Treatment cycles with live birth outcome  Treatment cycles  Treatment cycles with live birth outcome  Non- treatment cycles  Embryos created 
			 1991 5,948 26,543 822 696 105 — — 
			 1992 16,022 75,456 2,114 2,233 252 — — 
			 1993 18,860 92,809 2,757 2,939 376 — — 
			 1994 21,345 106,425 3,144 3,491 402 — — 
			 1995 24,753 126,078 3,856 4,548 542 — — 
			 1996 27,428 148,691 4,765 5,994 691 — — 
			 1997 27,811 146,066 4,933 6,178 707 — — 
			 1998 29,078 163,206 5,584 6,445 781 — — 
			 1999 28,212 163,840 5,833 6,602 844 804 575 
			 2000 28,591 170,406 5,981 6,877 908 976 728 
			 2001 28,812 176,947 6,171 7,415 1,017 898 603 
			 2002 29,781 178,794 6,708 7,639 1,070 756 724 
			 2003 30,069 179,906 6,924 7,449 1,178 713 968 
			 2004 32,141 185,409 7,123 7,956 1,167 694 1,038 
			 (1 )2004 is the most recent year for which information is available. (2 )Embryos used in these cycles may have been created in previous years as part of fresh treatment cycles. (3 )These are IVF cycles that, although started, did not progress to embryo transfer. These embryos may have been used in a patient's later frozen treatment cycles or for embryo donation. No data is held for years 1991-1998.  Source: HFEA

Incontinence: Medical Equipment

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Health whether her Department has made an assessment of the effects on children aged between five and 16 years of age and their families of the changesto the current provision of continence appliancesand products proposed in the consultation on 'Arrangements for the reimbursement pricing of stoma and incontinence appliances under Part IX of the drug tariff'.

Caroline Flint: In reviewing the arrangements under Part IX of the Drug Tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances, and related services,the Department has always made it clear that a key objective has been to maintain and, where appropriate, to improve patient care. This objective embraces all patient groups, including young people.

Influenza: Vaccination

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2006,  Official Report, column 139W, on influenza, what steps she is taking to meet the World Health Organisation's target of vaccinating 75 per cent. of high risk groups against seasonal influenza, in addition to the elderly.

Caroline Flint: In 2003, the World Health Assembly urged member states with influenza vaccination policies to increase vaccination coverage of all people in high risk groups. The 75 per cent. uptake target set by the World Health Organization (WHO) was for the elderly to be reached by 2010. This target was achieved in 2005-06, when uptake in those aged 65 and over reached 75.3 per cent.
	WHO did not set a target for those less than 65 years with risk factors.

Life Expectancy

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department undertook to investigate differences in life expectancy in different parts of the UK in each of the last five years.

Caroline Flint: The Department has not over the last five years commissioned generic research of the sort to which the hon. Member refers.

Maternity Services

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will assess the adequacy of the policy of not centrally collecting and collating data on the transportation of premature babies under NHS care between health trusts; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: Although we do not collect data centrally on the transportation of premature babies, that is not to say that we do not consider that this is an important issue. Safety has always been a Government priority. "Maternity Matters: Choice, access and continuity of care in a safe service", published on3 April, ensures that there will be more flexible and accessible maternity services, which will better meet the needs of local families and improve their experience of care, driving up the quality and efficiency of services. Through "Safety first: a report for patients, clinicians and healthcare managers" specialist support is provided at local national health service organisation levels in identifying patient safety risks, implementing solutions and sharing the learning. In addition, the National Audit Office (NAO) is undertaking a value of money study into neonatal services in England. The NAO will consider transport issues as part of their deliberations.

Medical Records

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines or procedures are used by  (a) hospital and  (b) general practitioners' staff to ensure that patient records are handled correctly.

Caroline Flint: The NHS Confidentiality Code of Practice, published in November 2003, provides guidance on required practice for those who work within or under contract to national health service organisations about the safeguarding of confidentiality, and patients' consent to the use of their health records. The guidance includes an explanation of the main relevant legal requirements, and examples of appropriate information disclosure decisions in practice. The guidance applies equally to clinicians, managers, and all other staff in both primary and secondary care settings whose work involves access to personal information and, where appropriate, includes staff in the private and voluntary sectors.
	A full version of the code can be downloaded from the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/06/92/54/04069254.pdf, a copy has been placedin the Library The code has been endorsed by the Information Commissioner, the General Medical Council, and the British Medical Association.
	Strong disincentives exist which protect against abuse of patient confidentiality. NHS organisations are responsible, as employers, for the actions taken on their behalf by their employees, and for disciplining their staff when they behave inappropriately. Accessing personal information without a legitimate reason constitutes a breach of the code. Staff who breach patient confidentiality are subject to professional disciplinary measures. Offending doctors and nurses will be reported to their professional regulatory bodies and may face additional disciplinary action, including losing their licence to practice. Separate legal penalties for individuals and organisations misusing personal health and other information are provided for under Section 60 of the Data Protection Act.

Medical Records: Disclosure of Information

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what rights of personal compensation or redress willbe available to the patients concerned in respect of commitments made in the NHS care record guarantee in the event of any failure of information governance which results in improper use of disclosure of information from patient records in breach of the guarantee.

Caroline Flint: Responsibility for meeting information governance standards rests with local national health service organisations and their staff. NHS Connecting for Health has introduced a requirement for NHS organisations to sign a statement of compliance, indicating that they meet all appropriate standards and the Department has made information governance standards a key element of performance management within the NHS for the coming year. Organisations will be held accountable for any failings, and in extreme cases will be denied access to the NHS information technology infrastructure until problems are rectified. Where staff knowingly misuse systems we would expect their employing organisation to invoke appropriate disciplinary proceedings.
	Where a failure to meet standards also results ina breach of confidentiality or of data protection requirements, the individual patients concernedhave recourse to NHS complaints procedures, the Information Commissioner, and the courts. Health professionals may also be reported to their regulatory bodies if they are in breach of professional standards.

Medical Records: Disclosure of Information

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when NHS patient records are made available to health service providers in the private sector, what steps are  (a) required of the private sector entity  (b) taken by the NHS to ensure (i) separation of NHS and private sector database systems and (ii) responsible use and disposition of data by the private sector entity; and what (A) resources and (B) arrangements are in place for technical audit and inspection of IT systems operated by private providers.

Caroline Flint: Personal health information may only be made available to private sector providers providing services to national health service patients with the consent of the individual patient concerned, andunder a contract that sets out the requirement thatthe appropriate information governance standards required of NHS bodies covering confidentiality, security and record retention are complied with in full.
	Data used in the treatment of NHS patients is not required to be held in a separate database. However, the data handling and management systems to be used must pass a technical and information governance compliance process which includes an assessment that they conform with the requirements of the care record guarantee.
	As part of the initial information governance compliance process documentary evidence, including external audits, are required to be provided by the private sector providers. These are reviewed annually through evidence provided by the provider through the Information Governance Toolkit. Under the most recent private sector provider contracts this hasbeen extended to compliance with IS027001, the new international information security management standard. The Department's NHS Connecting for Health agency retains the right to undertake a direct audit of any private sector provider should they feel that is required.

Minimally Conscious State

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by her Department on persons in a minimally conscious state; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: None.
	The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support biomedical research. The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Innovation.
	The MRC has funded the following studies of relevance to the hon. Member's question:
	Dr. Adrian Owen's work at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge which has demonstrated that it is possible to detect awareness in patients suffering from persistent vegetative state;
	the CRASH trial—a large simple placebo-controlled trial, among adults with head injury and impaired consciousness, of the effects of corticosteroids on death and disability—led by a team at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; and
	a university of Southampton study seeking to develop of a clinically relevant in vitro model of traumatic brain injury.

Multiple Sclerosis: Research

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding her Department makes available for research into multiple sclerosis.

Caroline Flint: The Department funds research to support policy and to provide the evidence neededto underpin quality improvement and service development in the national health service. Spend by the Department's national research programmes and by the Medical Research Council (MRC) on multiple sclerosis is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Expenditure on multiple sclerosis research 
			  £ million 
			   Department of Health  Medical Research Council 
			 2000-01 0.5 1.5 
			 2001-02 0.6 2.1 
			 2002-03 0.1 1.8 
			 2003-04 0.1 1.1 
			 2004-05 0.1 1.4 
			 2005-06 0.8 n/a 
			 n/a = not available  Note: The MRC is an independent body funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Innovation. 
		
	
	Over the last 10 years, the main part of the Department's total expenditure on health research has been devolved to and managed by NHS organisations. Details of individual NHS supported research projects including a number concerned with multiple sclerosis are available on the national research register at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/research.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 169-170W, on the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisals, what progress has been made in the work to ensure NICE's independent advisory committee takesaccount of wider societal costs when making its recommendations.

Caroline Flint: In January 2007, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published two technology appraisals on treatments for drug misuse;
	methadone and buprenorphine for the management of opioid dependence;
	naltrexone for the management of opioid dependence.
	NICE undertook sensitivity analyses to ensure that the Appraisal Committee was aware of the related wider societal costs and benefits associated with the issues addressed in these appraisals.

National Treatment Agency

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the £50 million allocated to the National Treatment Agency for capital funding has been  (a) bid for and  (b) paid out to bidders.

Caroline Flint: On 21 June 2006 the Department announced additional capital funding to improve the capacity and outcomes of in-patient and residential rehabilitation services via a strategic bidding process.
	The National Panel received 76 bids totalling£106 million and agreed allocations of £54.3 million to strategic health authorities. On 23 February 2007 the Department wrote to all strategic health authority chief executive officers informing them of allocations and recommendations for spend based upon the outcome of the capital strategic bidding process.
	Funding will begin to be allocated to strategic health authorities early in the 2007-08 financial year.

NHS: Drugs

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  for what reason a full regulatory impact assessment was not carried out on the proposals in her Department's consultation document Arrangements for the remuneration of services relating to appliances within Part IX of the Drug Tariff;
	(2)  what methods her Department used to come to the conclusion that the proposals outlined in the document Arrangements for the remuneration of services relating to appliances within Part IX of the Drug Tariff would not change the market structurally; and which  (a) dispensing appliance contractors,  (b) trade associations and  (c) industry analysts were consulted in reaching this conclusion;
	(3)  for what reason the partial regulatory impact assessment on Arrangements for the remuneration of services relating to appliances within Part IX of the Drug Tariff was temporarily withdrawn from the Department of Health website on Monday 26 March 2007.

Caroline Flint: The regulatory impact assessment (RIA) is a continuous process that is intended to help policy makers think through and understand the consequences of possible and actual Department interventions in the public, private and third sectors. It is also a tool to enable the Department to weigh and present the relevant evidence on the positive and negative effects of such interventions, including reviewing the impact of policies after they have been implemented.
	The RIA that was published in November was a partial RIA. The intent was to give interested parties the opportunity to comment and identify potential unintended consequences of, if necessary, the impact of the proposed changes that were set out in the consultation documents relating to service provision entitled:
	1. Arrangements for the remuneration of services relating to appliances within Part IX of the Drug Tariff, published23 November 2006; closed 2 April 2007.
	2. Proposed Amendments to the Regulatory Terms of Serviceof Pharmacy and Appliance Contractors in relation to Dispensing Items Listed in Part IX of the Drug Tariff, published 5 March 2007; closed 2 April 2007. This document was intended to show pharmacy and appliance contractors possible legislative requirements that would be needed as a consequence of the proposals set out in paper 1.
	All responses to the partial RIA will be considered carefully and the Department will not be in a position to complete a full and final RIA until such time as the review has been concluded. At that stage a full RIA will be prepared and published.
	The Department has no record of the RIA being temporarily withdrawn from the Department's website.

NHS: Expenditure

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent per capita of the population by the NHS in  (a) South Tyneside,  (b) the north east and  (c) England in each year since 1997.

Andy Burnham: National health service expenditure per unweighted head is shown in the table. It is only possible to show figures for Gateshead and South Tyneside health authority (HA) area from 1997-98 to 2001-02; after this data shown is for the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Strategic Health Authority (SHA) area. North east is the area covered by the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and County Durham and Tees Valley SHAs.
	
		
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 681.85 725.15 829.65 892.83 1,010.32 1,094.71 1,202.15 1,351.37 1,479.08 
			 North East 625.81 694.78 820.12 872.82 965.85 989.32 1,198.01 1,345.02 1,464.42 
			 England 607.85 659.76 763.79 825.38 926.13 991.07 1,116.32 1,236.10 1,334.99 
			  Notes:  1. Expenditure by strategic health authority area is taken as the total expenditure of the SHA, predecessor HAs and PCTs within the SHA area.  2. Expenditure shown does not include all national health service expenditure within the area. Expenditure on general dental services and pharmaceutical services accounted for by the Dental Practice Board and Prescription Pricing Authority, respectively, are excluded. This expenditure cannot be included within the figures for the individual health bodies as they are not included in commissioner accounts.  Sources:  Audited accounts of HAs 1997-98 to 2001-02.  Audited summarisation forms of SHAs 2002-03 to 2005-06.  Audited summarisation schedules of primary care trusts (PCTs) 2000-01 to 2005-06.  Office of National Statistics unweighted population figures.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of NHS organisations have ended the financial year in  (a) aggregate and  (b) in-year deficit in each financial year since 1997-98.

Andy Burnham: The following table shows the number and percentage of NHS organisations ending the financial year in aggregate deficit:
	
		
			   HAs/SHAs  PCTs  NHS trusts 
			   Number in deficit  Percentage in deficit  Number in deficit  Percentage in deficit  Number in deficit  Percentage in deficit 
			 1997-98 48 48 — — 149 35 
			 1998-99 48 48 — — 98 24 
			 1999-2000 59 60 — — 150 40 
			 2000-01 0 0 0 0 39 11 
			 2001-02 0 0 0 0 50 16 
			 2002-03 0 0 21 7 50 18 
			 2003-04 0 0 41 14 65 24 
			 2004-05 1 4 90 30 68 26 
			 2005-06 0 0 108 36 71 30 
			  Note: Data on the in-year financial position of NHS organisations is not collected centrally. The in-year financial position was only collected for 2006-07.  Source: Audited National Health Service summarisation schedules

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will list the titles of all studies into NHS deficits  (a) undertaken and  (b) commissioned by her Department since March 2006;
	(2)  if she will place in the Library a copy of the May 2006 study by her Department's Corporate Analytical Team entitled System Change and Financial Imbalance: The Dynamics of Deficits.

Andy Burnham: In his report on national health service financial performance 2005-06, published in June 2006, the Department's director General of Finance and Investment commissioned further detailed analysis from the Department's Chief Economic Advisor, asking him to consider factors that may have caused the emergence of deficits in 2004-05 and contributed to their geographical distribution. The Chief Economist's report, entitled "Explaining NHS deficits, 2003-04 to 2005-06", was published on the20 February 2007, and a copy is available in the Library.
	Two further internal studies on NHS deficits have been undertaken by the Department since March 2006 and were completed before the Chief Economist published his report. These are:
	"System change and financial imbalance: the dynamics of deficits", May 2006. A copy has been placed in the Library.
	"Financial management and control", which has already been published as annex E to the chief economist report.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 29 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1790-1W, on NHS finance, what the total value of capital-to-revenue transfers made by the NHS was in each year since 1990-91.

Andy Burnham: The Department was given one cash limit for capital and revenue expenditure in the years prior to 1997-98. Capital delegated expenditure limit (CDEL) and revenue delegated expenditure limit (RDEL) controls were introduced in 1998 and the information requested, regarding transfers from CDEL to RDEL, has been provided in the answer in the29 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1790-1W.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of each primary care trust budget was top-sliced in 2006-07.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member tothe reply given on 19 March 2007,  Official Report, column 737W.

NHS: ICT

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of implementing the NHS IT programme has been in  (a) Surrey primary care trust and  (b) England; what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the programme; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath (Mr. Godsiff) on5 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1694-95W; and to those given to the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) on 12 March 2007,  Official Report, column 140W, and on 17 April 2007,  Official Report, column 588W.

NHS: Procurement

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will assess the merits of placing controls on the ability of companies which supply drugs or equipment to the NHS to conduct direct lobbying with patients who receive that service.

Caroline Flint: There are already controls on companies that supply medicines to the national health service. The Medicines (Advertising) Regulations 1994 prohibit the advertising of prescription only medicines to the public. Any promotion of a prescription only medicine to patients including lobbying activity that may lead to them seeking a prescription from their healthcare provider is likely to fall within this prohibition. Companies may provide non-promotional information, provided they do not promote a specific prescription only medicine.
	Products which are defined as medical devices are regulated under the Medical Devices Regulations 2002. The regulations do not cover direct lobbying activities by manufacturers who place medical devices on the market. However, such activities can be dealt with under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 or the Control of Misleading Advertising Regulationsl998.

NHS: Public Appointments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets on diversity have been set for the appointments made by the Appointments Commission.

Rosie Winterton: Targets for representationin local national health service appointments are for50 per cent. of those appointed to be women, 10 per cent. to be from black and minority ethnic groups and 6 per cent. of those appointed to be disabled.

NHS: Standards

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the National Service Framework for  (a) cancer,  (b) children,  (c) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,  (d) coronary heart disease,  (e) diabetes,  (f) long-term conditions,  (g) mental health,  (h) older people and  (i) renal services in raising standards of care offered to patients.

Rosie Winterton: The Department has published a number of progress reports looking at the impact of the national service frameworks (NSFs). These are detailed below and are available in the Library:
	"The NHS Cancer Plan" was published in September 2000, and the Department has regularly reviewed progress against it. In October 2003, "The NHS Cancer Plan: Three year progress report, Maintaining the momentum", was published and in October 2004, "The NHS Cancer Plan and the new NHS: Providing a patient-centred service", was published. In addition, in 2005 the National Audit Office (NAO) published "The NHS Cancer Plan: A Progress Report".
	"The National Service Framework for children, young people and maternity services" was published in September 2004. A one-year-on report was produced in 2005. A number of a thematic reports concentrating on particular strands of the NSF have also been produced, most recently a report in November 2006 on the progress made so far on the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) strand.
	The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) NSF is still under development. The Department are planning to publish the COPD NSF at the end of 2008 with the implementation expected in 2009.
	The Department has published regular progress reports on the progress made in implementing the coronary heart disease NSF, most recently "Shaping the future—progress report for 2006". In addition, in 2005 the Healthcare Commission published "Getting to the heart of it—Coronary heart disease in England: a review of progress towards the national standards".
	"The NSF Four Years On—The Way Ahead: The Local Challenge—Improving Diabetes Services" has been published. It outlines the progress made in the first four years in implementing the NSF for diabetes.
	No assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the "Long-term Conditions National Service Framework". There is a 10-year implementation programme for this NSF. The overall pace of change will be according to local priorities and there are no targets. The Department is supporting local health and social care organisations toward implementation through a co-ordinated range of activities.
	A comprehensive account of progress made in the first five years of the NSF for mental health is available in the National Director for Mental Health's December 2004 report, "The National Service Framework for Mental Health—Five Years On".
	"A New Ambition for Old Age: Next steps in implementing the National Service Framework for Older People" is a refresh of the NSF for older people, and was published in April 2006. This publication was issued at the mid-way point of the 10-year NSF for older people. It built on the progress that had already been made, with older people receiving access to treatment and services in greater numbers than ever before. It sets out the priorities for the next phase of reform under three main themes: dignity in care, system reform for older people with complex needs, and healthy ageing.
	The renal NSF has received positive feedback from the renal community, and the standards and quality requirements set out in it are being delivered. Renal services are managing the ever increasing demand for renal replacement therapy, the number of living kidney donations continues to increase and radical change has been delivered in the areas of early detection of kidney disease and end of life care. A progress report is expected to be published in summer 2007.

Obesity

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the rates of obesity amongst adults were in the most recent period for which figures are available, broken down by primary care trust area.

Caroline Flint: Estimates of prevalence of obesity among adults based on 2000-02 data are presented by primary care organisation (PCO) and this information has been placed in the Library. Primary care organisations represent both primary care trusts, and care trusts.
	These estimates represent the prevalence of obesity for any PCO based on population characteristics of that area, together with a statistical model linking population characteristics and obesity levels. The estimates have been generated using a model-based method that combined individual-level data from the Health Survey for England (HSfE) with area-level measures from the 2001 census and from administrative datasets.
	The methodology used to produce these estimatesis relatively new and as a result may be subject to consultation, modification and further development. In view of this ongoing work the estimates have been published as experimental statistics.
	Confidence intervals have been produced to accompany the model-based estimates in order to make the accuracy of the estimates clear. It is important to take into account the variability in the estimates when interpreting them. Therefore, the expected prevalence for a PCO should be viewed in light of its confidence interval rather than just the expected obesity prevalence estimate.
	As these are estimates only, we discourage any ranking of the data. The table indicates how the estimated prevalence of each PCO compares with the national estimate for obesity prevalence.

Obesity

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of  (a) children and  (b) adults are (i) obese and (ii) overweight when measured by body mass index according to the Government's most recent health survey figures in (A) Bury St. Edmunds constituency, (B) Suffolk County Council area, (C) the East of England and (D) England.

Caroline Flint: The information is not available in the format requested. Data on overweight and obesity prevalence are available from the Health Survey for England (HSE).
	Data on the proportion of men and women who are overweight and obese are available from the HSE 2005. Data on the proportion of men and women who are overweight and obese in the East of England Government Office Region (GOR) has been taken from the HSE 2003, as this year included a sample boost. Data on overweight and obesity prevalence for Suffolk county council are not available. However data for the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority for adults is given and is combined for the years 2002 to 2004 due to small sample sizes. Information for Bury St. Edmunds constituency's overweight and obesity prevalence is not available. However, estimated overweight and obesity information is given for Suffolk West Primary Care Trust (PCT) in which Bury St. Edmunds falls.
	Data for children's overweight and obesity prevalence in England is available from the 2005 HSE. Data for children's overweight and obesity prevalence in the East of England GOR has been combined for the years 2002 to 2004, due to small sample sizes. Information for children's overweight and obesity prevalence is not available below a regional level.
	Table 1 shows the proportion of men and women who are overweight and obese in England, in 2005.
	Table 2 shows the proportion of men and women who are overweight and obese in the East of England GOR, in 2003.
	Table 3 shows the proportion of men and women who are overweight and obese in the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority, in 2002-2004 combined.
	Table 4 shows estimates of the prevalence of adults who are obese in Suffolk West PCT, 2000-2002
	Table 5 shows the proportion of boys and girls aged two to 15 who are overweight and obese in England,in 2005.
	Table 6 shows the proportion of boys and girls aged two to 15 who are overweight and obese in the East of England GOR, in 2002-2004 combined.
	All the tables have been placed in the Library.

Obesity: Children

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children aged  (a) one to five,  (b) six to 10,  (c) 11 to 15 and  (d) 16 to 18 years were classified as (i) obese and (ii) overweight in each of the last five years in (A) England, (B) each region and (C) each London borough.

Caroline Flint: The information is not available in the exact format requested. Information on overweight and obesity is available from the Health Survey for England (HSE). Information on childhood overweight and obesity prevalence broken down by age groups and by region has been combined for the years 2002 to 2004, due to small sample sizes. Also data are not available for one-year-olds. Information for young adults overweight and obesity prevalence is only availablefor the age range 16 to 24, and is not available by Government Office Region. Information for London boroughs is also not available, as the data is not sufficiently robust at this level.
	Table one shows overweight and obesity prevalence among children and young adults aged two to 10, 11 to 15 and 16 to 24, in England for the years 2000 to 2005.
	Table two shows overweight and obesity prevalence among children aged two to five, six to 10 and 11 to 15, for England, 2002 to 2004 combined.
	Table three shows overweight and obesity prevalence among children aged two to 10 and 11 to 15, by Government Office Region for the years 2002 to 2004 combined.
	
		
			  Table 1: Overweight and obesity prevalence among children and young adults, by gender, 2000 to 2005 , England 
			  Percentage 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003( 1)  2004( 1)  2005( 1)  2003( 2)  2004( 2)  2005( 2) 
			  Boys  
			  2-10  
			 Overweight 13.6 15.6 13.3 14.7 14.2 16.5 14.6 14.6 16.1 
			 Obese 12.2 13.5 15.2 14.9 16.2 16.6 15.1 15.9 16.9 
			  11-15  
			 Overweight 10.0 14.1 14.4 14.4 12.8 14.8 14.5 12.8 15.0 
			 Obese 18.8 18.8 19.8 20.4 23.7 20.5 20.0 24.2 20.4 
			  2-15  
			 Overweight 12.4 15.0 13.7 14.6 13.7 15.9 14.6 13.9 15.7 
			 Obese 14.5 15.5 16.9 17.0 18.9 18.0 17.0 19.2 18.3 
			  16-24  
			 Overweight 17.8 27.1 20.9 23.2 23.1 24.3 22.5 23.1 24.1 
			 Obese 9.3 9.5 9.2 8.6 8.2 7.6 8.6 7.9 6.9 
			  Girls  
			  2-10  
			 Overweight 11.6 14.0 13.1 13.4 14.2 12.2 13.4 14.8 12.2 
			 Obese 11.8 12.7 15.8 12.5 11.9 16.7 12.4 12.8 16.8 
			  11-15  
			 Overweight 14.4 17.5 15.1 16.0 19.4 14.0 16.4 19.3 14.1 
			 Obese 18.1 17.7 19.2 21.9 26.2 20.6 22.1 26.7 20.8 
			  2-15  
			 Overweight 12.7 15.2 13.9 14.4 16.3 12.8 14.6 16.6 12.9 
			 Obese 14.2 14.5 17.1 16.1 17.8 18.1 16.1 18.5 18.3 
			  16-24  
			 Overweight 22.1 22.3 20.7 18.8 25.2 20.5 18.3 24.1 19.5 
			 Obese 8.6 11.9 11.3 13.3 12.2 11.2 13.1 12.1 10.8 
			  Bases (weighted)  
			  Boys  
			 2-10 570 1,035 2,364 876 416 695 878 379 664 
			 11-15 306 618 1,381 533 230 382 574 245 438 
			 2-15 877 1,653 3,745 1,410 645 1,077 1,452 624 1,102 
			 16-24 400 757 1,553 686 255 367 960 418 491 
			  Girls  
			 2-10 523 1,094 2,290 897 343 724 858 346 674 
			 11-15 318 605 1,346 547 236 411 535 235 417 
			 2-15 841 1,699 3,636 1,444 579 1,135 1,393 581 1,091 
			 16-24 362 856 1,719 788 294 385 912 378 432 
			 (1) Prom 2003 data were also weighted for non response. Data weighted for child selection only are provided for consistency with previous years. (2 )Weighted  Source: Health Survey for England: Updating of trend tables to include 2005 data. The Information Centre 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Overweight and obesity prevalence among children, by age, 2002-04( 1)  England 
			  Percentage 
			   2002-04 
			  Aged 2-5  
			 Overweight 14.1 
			 Obese 12.3 
			  Aged 6-10  
			 Overweight 13.2 
			 Obese 16.6 
			  Aged 11-15  
			 Overweight 15.0 
			 Obese 20.5 
			  Bases (unweighted)( 2)  
			 Aged 2-5 2,540 
			 Aged 6-10 3,919 
			 Aged 11-15 3,977 
			  Bases (weighted)( 3)  
			 Aged 2-5 2,784 
			 Aged 6-10 4,403 
			 Aged 11-15 4,272 
			 (1) Data are aggregated over the three years, 2002, 2003 and 2004 to achieve a sufficiently large sample for analysis at this level (2). Unweighted figures are raw unadjusted figures (3) Weighted figures are adjusted for child selection only and not non-response  Source: Health Survey for England 2002. The Department of Health Health Survey for England 2003. The Department of Health Health Survey for England 2004. The Information Centre 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Overweight and obesity prevalence among children by Government Office Region (GOR) and age, 2002-04( 1)  England 
			  Percentage 
			   North East  North West  Yorkshire and the Humber  East Midlands  West Midlands  East England  London  South East  South West 
			  Aged 2-10  
			 Overweight 13.8 12.9 15.4 16.4 14.1 12.9 12.3 12.5 12.8 
			 Obese 16.4 14.4 13.6 14.8 17.4 13.4 18.8 13.9 12.7 
			  Aged 11-15  
			 Overweight 13.7 14.8 15.3 11.9 13.1 13.7 17.0 17.1 16.1 
			 Obese 24.0 20.8 20.0 20.2 24.3 18.7 22.5 18.1 18.3 
			  Aged 2-15  
			 Overweight 13.8 13.6 15.4 14.7 13.8 13.2 14.1 14.2 14.0 
			 Obese 19.5 16.8 15.8 16.9 19.9 15.3 20.1 15.4 14.8 
			  Bases (unweighted) ( 2)  
			 Aged 2-10 372 891 700 588 682 743 791 1,041 651 
			 Aged 11-15 250 584 406 366 477 436 470 636 412 
			 Aged 2-15 622 1,475 1,106 954 7,099 1,179 1,261 1,677 1,063 
			  Bases (weighted for selection only)( 3)  
			 Aged 2-10 399 1.021 780 641 768 808 881 1,162 725 
			 Aged 11-15 273 634 424 395 447 462 517 682 438 
			 Aged 2-15 673 1,655 1,204 t,036 1,216 1,271 1,398 1,844 1,163 
			 (1) Data aggregated over the three years, 2002, 2003, and 2004 to achieve a sufficiently large sample for analysis at this level. (2) Unweighted figures are raw unadjusted figures. (3) Weighted figures are adjusted for child selection only and not non-response.  Source:  Health Survey for England 2002. The Department of Health  Health Survey for England 2003. The Department of Health Health Survey for England 2004. The Information Centre

Pharmacy: Internet

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many regulated UK-based internet pharmacies there are; and what estimate she has made of the number of unregulated internet pharmacies based in the UK.

Caroline Flint: The sale and supply of pharmacy and prescription only medicines for human use via the internet must be made in accordance with the Medicines Act 1968. There are approximately 12,684 registered retail pharmacies in Great Britain but not all will provide internet services. Registered pharmacies are not currently obliged to inform the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain if they provide internet pharmacy services, however, to date, 107 pharmacies have volunteered that information. The Society is piloting an internet pharmacy logo designed to assist members of the public in identifying bona fide registered pharmacy premises providing professional services via the internet. There are currently 20 participants involved in the pilot. After a review of the pilot it is intended to extend the logo to all registered retail pharmacies which provide internet services. The Society's inspectorate monitors and inspects all retail pharmacy premises currently on the register and that extends to internet pharmacy services. There is no available estimate of the number of unregulated internet pharmacies based in the United Kingdom.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency routinely monitor medicines being offered for sale on the internet by means of specialist information technology equipment which has been installed and configured to identify websites dealing in medicines illegally. Any suspected illegal activity is referred for investigation.

Photosensitivity

Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the impact on the health of people with light sensitivity conditions of phasing out the sale of incandescent light bulbs; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Department is aware of theneed to consider health implications in the eventof incandescent light bulbs being phased out. Departmental officials have already had discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and other Government Departments that have an interest in these matters.

Ritalin: Labelling

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the labelling of Methylphenidate-based medication was last updated in accordance with regulatory requirements; if she will review the adequacy of the regulations relating to such labelling; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: Methylphenidate (trade names Ritalin, Concerta XL and Equasym XL) is a stimulant drug licensed for children over six years of age as part of a comprehensive treatment programme for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Such treatment should be under the supervision of a specialist in childhood behavioural disorders. Methylphenidate's safety in routine clinical practice is closely monitored by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in conjunction with other European regulatory authorities.
	Since methylphenidate was first authorised in the United Kingdom, a number of changes have been made to the product information for prescribers and patients to better reflect its emerging safety profile. The last revision, in November 2006, was to the product information for Concerta, to advise about serious cardiovascular adverse effects and to recommend that methylphenidate should not be used in children or adolescents with known serious structural cardiac abnormalities. Steps are being taken to ensure consistency of information for all methylphenidate products.
	The longer term safety of the use of methylphenidate is kept under careful review within Europe. The UK, on behalf of Europe, is in discussions with the pharmaceutical companies who manufacture methylphenidate products in order to develop risk management plans, which include the conduct of new research to better characterise and further investigate the safety profile of methylphenidate. As new data emerge it will be carefully evaluated by the MHRA and where necessary current prescribing advice will be updated to reflect the new evidence.
	The marketing authorisation holder of any medicine is legally obliged to keep their product information up to date with all current developments, and respondto requests from regulatory agencies. European regulations governing medicinal products were amended in November 2005 and included provisions for improved monitoring of drug safety and quality of information for patients.

School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme

Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pupils in Darlington schools and nurseries receive free fruit.

Caroline Flint: There are 4,275 pupils attending28 schools in the Darlington area who are currently participating in the school fruit and vegetable scheme.

Smoking

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been allocated for advertising the implementation of the smoking ban in  (a) Wales,  (b) England and  (c) Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: In May, the Department will begina national and regional advertising campaign in England, targeted at businesses and the general public, to communicate the key aspects of smokefree legislation that will be implemented on 1 July 2007.A budget of £4.8 million has been allocated to the campaign in this financial year.
	The implementation of smokefree legislation in Wales and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter.

Websites

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many UK-based websites breached medicines legislation in each of the last 10 years; and what enforcement action has been taken.

Caroline Flint: In the United Kingdom, there are strict legal controls on the retail sale, supply and advertisement of medicinal products. These controls apply without distinction to medicines sold or supplied through internet transactions and mail order.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) takes the view that internet and mail order sale and supply of medicines are acceptable provided these legal requirements are met. However, any website brought to their attention for breaching regulations will be investigated.
	Records held by MHRA show that from 1 April 1997 to date, out of 294 cases opened involving internet activity, 227 of these were found to be in breach of medicines legislation.
	MHRA will initially aim to achieve compliance with regulatory requirements, sites are contacted and given advice on UK statutory obligations. Although MHRA has no powers to force closure of websites, internet service providers are contacted concerning illegal activity and can close down offending sites. However, if compliance cannot be achieved, further action canbe taken including a criminal prosecution brought through the criminal courts and civil proceedings.